Unshared electron pairs, also called lone pairs, are really important when we look at Lewis structures. They can change how molecules look and how they react with other substances.

Key Points:

• What They Are: Unshared electron pairs are pairs of electrons that are not used for bonding with other atoms.

• What They Do:

  • They change the shape of molecules. For example, in water (H₂O), the two lone pairs on the oxygen atom make the shape bent instead of straight.
  • They affect whether a molecule is polar or nonpolar. Molecules with lone pairs, like ammonia (NH₃), can be polar because the electrons are unevenly spread out.

By understanding these lone pairs, we can better guess how different substances will act in chemical reactions!