Can there be lone pairs on the central atom if the shape is linear?

[Darren Nguyen 1F]

Like what if there was a lone pair above a below the central atom, could the molecular shape stay linear that way?

[Abigail_Hagen2G]

I think it depends on the atoms attached

[Lauren Bui 1E]

I believe this would make the shape bent. For example, both H20 and SO2 have lone pairs on the central atom; thus, the shape is bent.

[Sydney Pell 2E]

If two lone pairs were added to the central atom, the molecule would then have four areas of electron density and so the electron geometry would be tetrahedral and the molecular geometry would then be bent since there are 2 bonding pairs. So, a molecule can only be linear if the central atom only has two areas of electron density.

[Abigail_Hagen2G]

If you just had two atoms attached with two lone pairs, it would end up being bent, as the lone pairs wouldn't be able to just be opposite of each other. It would end up looking like a water molecule.