Nitrogen Dioxide : Bent Molecular Geometry

In this example, NO₂, the Lewis diagram shows nitrogen at the center with one lone electron. The nitrogen and and one oxygen are bonded through a double bond which counts as "one electron pair". Hence the molecule has three electron pairs and is trigonal planar for electron pair geometry. The one lone electron exerts a less repulsion than normal on the two bonding oxygen atoms so they are able to spread out more to a 134^o bond angle from the ideal of 120^o.

The Lewis diagram is as follows:
N = 5 e-
O = 6e- x 2 = 12e-

Total electrons = 17

All oxygen atoms have an octet of electrons. Nitrogen atom does not have an octet because the whole molecule is short an electron. This electron deficient feature of the molecule make is very reactive because it will try to react with some other molecule to complete the octet. Nitrogen dioxide is a main component of photochemical smog air pollution. It is coproduced from the high temperature combustion of gasoline in the presence of air which also contains nitrogen.