Sentence:  If the **f bond is linear then there are three reasonable positions for the hydrogen atoms : ( 1 ) The hydrogen atoms are centered and hence all lie on a sheet midway between the oxygen sheets ; ( 2 ) all hydrogen atoms lie on a sheet , but the sheet is closer to one oxygen sheet than to the other ; ( 3 ) hydrogen atoms are asymmetrically placed , either randomly or in an ordered way , so that some hydrogen atoms are closer to the upper oxygen <WSD>atoms</WSD> while others are closer to the lower oxygen atoms . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element