NEET2016ChemistryChemical Bonding and Molecular StructureActual
The correct geometry and hybridization for XeF 4 are
Options
- Aoctahedral, sp 3 d 2 .
- Btrigonal bipyramidal, sp 3 d .
- Cplanar triangle, sp 3 d 3 .
- Dsquare planar, sp 3 d 2 .
Correct answer
D. square planar, sp 3 d 2 .
Step-by-step solution
Xenon is a noble gas that has 8 valence electrons. There are 4 Fluorine atoms attached or bonded with Xe, each of a single bond. So, the number of lone pair or non-bonding electrons surrounding of xenon atom is 8 – 4 = 4 (that means: two lone pair electrons). Therefore,   XeF 4 molecule has 4 bond pairs and 2 lone pairs in the molecule. Thus, XeF 4   2 lp + 4 bp , has a square planar geometry, where the hybridization of Xe is sp 3 d 2 .