adjective
- relating to electrons that do not participate in chemical bonding between atoms
Usage: chemistry
Examples
- The oxygen atom has two nonbonding electron pairs.
- Nonbonding electrons affect the molecular geometry.
- The lone pairs are nonbonding electrons in the water molecule.
- Nonbonding orbitals do not contribute to chemical bonds.
- Students must identify bonding and nonbonding electron pairs.
- The nonbonding electrons repel the bonding pairs.