Questions: Text Alternative H-C-H Multiple Choice Question What are the appropriate bond angles in formaldehyde shown? 180° 109.5° 120° Rate your confidence to submit your answer. High Medium Low Read About the Concept Need help? Review these concept resources. © 2021 McGraw Hill. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Center Terms of Use

Solution Steps

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a simple aldehyde with the chemical structure H-C-H, where the carbon atom is double-bonded to an oxygen atom (C=O) and single-bonded to two hydrogen atoms. The central carbon atom is bonded to three atoms and has no lone pairs, which suggests a trigonal planar geometry.

In a trigonal planar molecular geometry, the bond angles around the central atom are typically 120°. This is because the atoms are arranged in a plane, and the angles between them are equal to minimize repulsion according to VSEPR (Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion) theory.

Given the options:

• 180°: This angle is typical for linear geometry, not applicable here.
• 109.5°: This angle is typical for tetrahedral geometry, not applicable here.
• 120°: This angle is typical for trigonal planar geometry, which matches the structure of formaldehyde.

Final Answer