Lone pairs and bond angles

[Shanzey]

Does having a lone pair on the central atom decrease the bond angles of the other attached atoms?

[rabiasumar2E]

Yes, a lone pair decreases the bond angles. For example, in NH3 since there is a lone pair the bond angles will be around 107 degrees rather than the 109.5 degrees that shape usually gives.

[Ashley Tran 2I]

Yes, the repulsion of a lone pair pushes the atoms bonded to the central atom closer together. This is because the electron cloud of a lone pair can spread over a larger volume than a bonding pair can, because a bonding pair (or several bonding pairs in a multiple bond) is held in place by two atoms, not one.

[Katheryne N 3G]

A lone pair on the central atom would push bonding electron pairs closer together, therefore decreasing the bond angles, since it has a stronger/higher repulsion (l.p-l.p > l.p-b.p > b.p-b.p).

[Ayushi2011]

Lone pair decreases bond angle because it causes repulsion with other lone pairs and bonding pairs.