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Chemical Bonding & Molecular Structure

Bond Angle

The angle between two bonds that share a common atom.

Unit degrees

In depth

Bond angles follow from the arrangement that minimises electron pair repulsion, then shrink wherever lone pairs are present because those repel more strongly. Ring strain, steric bulk and electronegativity of substituents all cause further deviation from the idealised VSEPR values.

Examples in the real world

109.5° in methane, 107° in ammonia, 104.5° in water, and a strained 60° in cyclopropane.