The `S - S - S` bond angle in `S_(8)` molecule is

Options

A. `107.8^(@)`
B. `105^(@)`
C. `120^(@)`
D. `60^(@)`

Answer

To determine the S-S-S bond angle in the S₈ molecule, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Molecular Structure**:
- The S₈ molecule consists of eight sulfur atoms arranged in a cyclic structure. Each sulfur atom is bonded to two other sulfur atoms.

2. **Determine Hybridization**:
- In S₈, each sulfur atom undergoes sp³ hybridization. This is due to the presence of two bonding pairs (bonds to neighboring sulfur atoms) and two lone pairs of electrons.

3. **Analyze Lone Pairs**:
- Each sulfur atom has two lone pairs of electrons. The presence of lone pairs affects the bond angles due to repulsion between lone pairs and bonding pairs.

4. **Consider the Geometry**:
- The arrangement of atoms around each sulfur atom is tetrahedral because of the sp³ hybridization. However, due to the presence of lone pairs, the actual bond angle will be slightly less than the ideal tetrahedral angle of 109.5°.

5. **Calculate the Bond Angle**:
- The bond angle in S₈ is approximately 107.8°. This is a result of the repulsion between the lone pairs, which pushes the bonding pairs closer together, reducing the bond angle from the ideal tetrahedral angle.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the S-S-S bond angle in the S₈ molecule is 107.8°.

### Final Answer:
The S-S-S bond angle in the S₈ molecule is **107.8°**.