MHT CET202520 Apr 2025Morning ShiftChemistryChemical Bonding and Molecular StructureActual
Identify the geometry of TeF ₄ molecule from the following.
Options
- ALinear
- BTetrahedral
- CTrigonal bipyramidal
- DTrigonal
Correct answer
C. Trigonal bipyramidal
Step-by-step solution
VSEPR theory is applied to determine the geometry of TeF ₄ . Tellurium contributes 6 valence electrons, of which 4 are used in bonding with the four fluorine atoms, leaving 2 electrons—constituting one lone pair. The steric number is 4 + 1 = 5 . A steric number of 5 corresponds to trigonal bipyramidal electron domain geometry. With one lone pair in an equatorial position to minimize repulsion, the molecular geometry is seesaw. Among the given choices, trigonal bipyramidal (Option C) describes the electron domain ge