Why is H20's lewis structure like this?

Question

Why is it
O
/ \
H H
instead of
H-O-H

Answer 1

In the Lewis structure, the H's are attached to O by a shared electron pair, ox, where o is an electron from oxygen and x is an electron from hydrogen. But there are oo and oo on two other parts of oxygen, not bonding to anything.

One simple explanation is that all pairs of electrons repel one another on the surface of the oxygen atom, not only the ox ones in bonds, but the oo pairs also. So they push one another as far part as possible. This means that the two H's are pushed into a 107deg angle from one another, >O, while the oo pairs are also pushed into O<.

Another explanation is that the 2s2 and 2p4 valence electrons of oxygen are hybridized into four identical sp3 orbitals. Where 2s-orbitals are spherical and 2p-orbitals are dumbbell shaped, sp3 orbitals are like "long dumbbells," >O<, and the 107deg bond angles develop that way.

Answer 2

Because water is a polar molecule. Oxygen is more electronegative and as a result pulls the shared electrons from the two hydrogens closer to it, bringing the hydrogens into the V shape. The polarity of water is very important because it allows it to do neat things like cohesion and temperature regulation.

Answer 3

Because...the molecule is polar.The electrons are attracted more powerful by the O.Therefore,O's charge is + and the H's is -...And it is also because the H repell each other(both having -) and the molecule is structured at 107 degrees and 29 minutes

Answer 4

Water is polar with O being more electronegative. It also has two lone pairs which repel each other due to electrostatic repulsion than a bonded pair

Answer 5

because the oxygen has two free pairs of electrons that are pushing away the hydrogen atoms.