Other Applications
The bent bond theory can also explain other phenomena in organic molecules. In fluoromethane (CH3F) for instance the experimental F-C-H bond angle is 109° but should be less. This is because according to Bent's rule, the C-F bond gains p-orbital character leading to high s-character in the C-H bonds and H-C-H bond angles approaching that of sp2 orbitals e.g. 120° leaving less for the F-C-H bond angle. The difference is again explained in terms of bent bonds.
Bent bonds also come into play in the gauche effect explaining the preference for gauche conformations in certain substitutend alkanes and the alkene cis effect associated with some unusually stable alkene cis isomers.
Read more about this topic: Bent Bond