question_answer

The hybridisation of oxygen in both water and diethyl ether molecules is the same but they differ in their bond angles. Explain.

Answer:

                                In both the molecules, the oxygen atom is \[s{{p}^{3}}\] hybridised and the expected bond angle is \[109{}^\circ 28'.\] However, the presence of two lone pairs distorts the geometry of both these molecules. The bond angle in diethyl ether molecule is more than in case of water molecule because of greater repulsion in two \[{{C}_{2}}{{H}_{5}}\] groups as compared to H atoms in the molecule of water.