What is the difference between unpaired electron and lone pair of electrons?
A lone pair is a valence electron pair without bonding or sharing with other atoms. They are found in the outermost electron shell of an atom, so lone pairs are a subset of a molecule's valence electrons.
Unpaired electrons are the electrons which are not paired. It is present alone in the orbital without the electron with opposite spin. Unpaired electrons can be on an atom or on molecule. Lone pair of electrons are not present on an alone atom. For example, in nitrogen atom, the three 2p-orbitals are singly filled by one electron each or unpaired electron each. These electrons will not be called as lone pair.In case of ammonia and sulphur dioxide there is one lone pair of electron present on Nitrogen and Oxygen.
Unpaired electrons are the electrons which are not paired. It is present alone in the orbital without the electron with opposite spin. Unpaired electrons can be on an atom or on molecule. Lone pair of electrons are not present on an alone atom. For example, in nitrogen atom, the three 2p-orbitals are singly filled by one electron each or unpaired electron each. These electrons will not be called as lone pair.In case of ammonia and sulphur dioxide there is one lone pair of electron present on Nitrogen and Oxygen.