H20

[Daniel Hernandez 1G]

Why is H2O considered monodentate if there are two lone pairs around the oxygen atom?

[Lakshmi Davuluri 1E]

H20 is considered monodentate because only one lone pair bonds a central atom, while the other lone pair points away from the central atom. Hope this helps!

[Olivia Monroy 1A]

H2O is monodentate because in a molecule one atom can only bond to the TM once, so only one lone pair on the O atom can bond to a central atom. If you have two separate O atoms spaced out in the same molecule both can bond to an atom, which again is only one lone pair per atom.

[Edward Tang 1k]

The two lone pairs are too close for both to bond and be stable. Usually bidentate ligands have electron lone pairs that are far away and point to the same direction.

[Hailey Kang 2K]

Hi! Only one of the lone pairs can bond to a central atom.

[allyssa bradley 1H]

Why are the lone pairs so close then, instead of being on opposite sides?

[Nicole Bruno Dis 1B]

H20 contains both lone pairs on the oxygen but only one binding site between H2O and the central metal, therefore it is monodentate.