Why is the shape of the water molecule as a being a bent tetrahedral so important?
The geometry is higly important because it is what gives water it’s physical and chemical properties. The water molecule is tetrahedral (in general) because of its 4 electron domains, but because water has 2 lone pairs and 2 bonds the tetrahedral geometry becomes a bent geometry. The lone pairs on the O atom make the H-O-H bond angle a little smaller than the tetrahedral 109.4. If water were not bent, and tetrahedral then it would be non-polar as most tetrahedrals are dependng on what the atoms are…. If water were not polar then there would be no hydrogen bonding involved and water’s boiling point would not be 100 degrees C as it is nor would it’s freezing point be 0C either. Oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds would all disappear and Earth wouldn’t exist….nor would life.
