How does a lone pair disort the moleculer shape?

A lone pair of electrons occupies space around a central atom, which can repel the bonding pairs of electrons more strongly than bonding pairs repel each other. This repulsion alters the bond angles and can lead to a distortion in the molecular shape, resulting in geometries that differ from idealized forms. For example, in water (H₂O), the two lone pairs on oxygen push the hydrogen atoms closer together, creating a bent shape rather than a linear arrangement.