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What bond angle does singlet methylene have between its carbon-hydrogen bonds?
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carbene
Nonbonding orbitals in triplet and singlet states
The bond angle between the carbon-hydrogen bonds in singlet methylene is 104°.1
This measurement is determined through optical spectroscopy, which distinguishes the singlet state from the triplet state of methylene. While the triplet state of methylene—which serves as its ground state—features a bond angle of 136°, the singlet state is characterized by a smaller bond angle of 104°.1