Which comparisons of bond angles are correct?
I. The bond angle in is greater than the bond angle in .
II. The bond angle in is greater than the bond angle in .
15% of national qualifiers got this right
Explanation
draftBoth statements are true, based on how the electronegativity and size of the atoms bonded to nitrogen or phosphorus affect the lone-pair/bonding-pair repulsions.
Statement I: vs
- Both have a central N with one lone pair and three bonding pairs, so both are trigonal pyramidal with an idealized angle near .
- Fluorine is much more electronegative than hydrogen, so in the N–F bonding electrons are pulled away from N toward F. This leaves N with more electron density concentrated in the lone pair, which then exerts greater repulsion on the bonding pairs, compressing the F–N–F angle.
- Result: bond angle () > bond angle (). Statement I is correct.
Statement II: vs
- Moving down the group from N to P, the central atom becomes larger and uses orbitals with more / character difference (less effective hybridization), so the bonding pairs sit farther from the nucleus and closer to pure orbital character (which prefer ).
- This causes the H–P–H angle to shrink more than the H–N–H angle.
- Result: bond angle () > bond angle (). Statement II is correct.
Since both I and II are true, the answer is (C).
Picks only Statement I as true, incorrectly assuming that since P is a heavier atom it must give a larger bond angle than N (ignoring the poorer hybridization/more p-character trend down a group).
Picks only Statement II as true, mistakenly reasoning that F's high electronegativity would pull electron density away from N and increase the F–N–F angle rather than decrease it (misapplying electronegativity effects on lone pair repulsion).
Correctly recognizes that both electronegativity differences (N–F vs N–H) and the size/hybridization trend down a group (N vs P) each reduce the bond angle relative to , making both statements true.
Assumes all three central atoms (N in , , and P in ) have identical bond angles because they are all AX3E VSEPR types, ignoring substituent electronegativity and central-atom size effects.
USNCO 2024 National Part I exam, question 52. © American Chemical Society; reproduced for non-commercial practice.