[imari]

I am really confused about the structure of SO2.

I know that it's double bonded to one of the oxygens and single bonded to the other. I thought the geometry of the molecule was bent but bent molecules are 104.5 degrees. When I look on Wikipedia, it says that SO2 is 120 degrees.

Why is it 120 degrees and not 104.5 degrees if it's bent?

[Yggdrasil]

Sulfur dioxide has a double bond to each oxygen.  Try to draw the lewis structure of SO₂ and think of how many lone pairs that the sulfur will have.  Keep in mind that since S is in the third period of the periodic table, it can accommodate more than eight outer shell electrons.

[imari]

well i know that really there are two double bonds if you put the two resonance structures together but thats not what is confusing me. Just whether it is 120 or 104.5 degrees.

[ARGOS++]

Dear Imari;

Sorry! – Could it be that you forgot that in the resonance structure SO₂ owns only ONE “None Bondings” (NB) and not two like water is doing?
So the “pressure” out of linear of one NB can not be the same as it is for two.
And fore that SO₂ becomes much more significant closer to a linear form then water


Good Luck!
                   ARGOS⁺⁺

[Yggdrasil]

There is no resonance structure.  Sulfur dioxide has one lone pair, and two (full) double bonds to oxygen.