Editing Lone pair (section)

==Angle changes==
[[File:Tetrahedral Structure of Water.png|thumb|Tetrahedral structure of water]]
The pairs often exhibit a negative [[chemical polarity|polar character]] with their high charge density and are located closer to the [[atomic nucleus]] on average compared to the bonding pair of electrons. The presence of a lone pair decreases the bond angle between the bonding pair of electrons, due to their high electric charge, which causes great repulsion between the electrons. They are also involved in the formation of a [[dative bond]]. For example, the creation of the [[hydronium]] (H<sub>3</sub>O<sup>+</sup>) ion occurs when acids are dissolved in water and is due to the [[oxygen]] atom donating a lone pair to the [[hydrogen]] ion.

This can be seen more clearly when looked at it in two more common [[molecule]]s. For example, in [[carbon dioxide]] (CO<sub>2</sub>), which does not have a lone pair, the oxygen atoms are on opposite sides of the carbon atom ([[linear molecular geometry]]), whereas in [[water]] (H<sub>2</sub>O) which has two lone pairs, the angle between the hydrogen atoms is 104.5° ([[bent molecular geometry]]). This is caused by the repulsive force of the oxygen atom's two lone pairs pushing the hydrogen atoms further apart, until the forces of all electrons on the hydrogen atom are in [[mechanical equilibrium|equilibrium]]. This is an illustration of the [[VSEPR theory]].