* Central Atom: Sulfur (S) is the central atom.

* Valence Electrons: Sulfur has 6 valence electrons, and each oxygen atom has 6 valence electrons.

* Bonding: Sulfur forms double bonds with each oxygen atom, sharing two electrons with each oxygen.

* Lone Pairs: Sulfur also has one lone pair of electrons.

* Electron Pair Repulsion: The electron pairs (both bonding and lone pairs) around the sulfur atom repel each other. This repulsion leads to a bent shape, minimizing the repulsion between the electrons.

Therefore, the SO₂ molecule has a bent shape with an approximate bond angle of 119 degrees.