What is the Approximate H-C-O Bond Angle in an Alcohol

Question

What is the approximate H-C-O bond angle in an alcohol?
A) 90°
B) 109°
C) 120°
D) 180°

Accepted Answer

The approximate H-C-O bond angle in an alcohol is 109°, which is close to the tetrahedral angle formed by sp3 hybrid orbitals in a molecule. This bond angle occurs due to the tetrahedral geometry of the carbon center in the alcohol molecule, where the two hydrogens and the oxygen occupy three of the four corners of the tetrahedron, while the fourth corner is free. The tetrahedral geometry results in a bond angle of approximately 109° between the H-C-O atoms.