Chapter 21, Problem 84PS

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation: To predict the electron pair geometry for the $\text{Xe}$ atom in ${\text{XeOF}}_{\text{4}}$ molecule.

Concept introduction:

The ground state outer electronic configuration of Xenon atom is ${\text{5s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{5p}}^6$, that is the total number of valence shell electrons in xenon atom are eight.

Electron geometry is the shape of a molecule predicted by considering both bond electron pairs and lone pair of electrons.

Molecular geometry is the shape of a molecule predicted by considering only bond pair of electrons

According to VSEPR theory, the geometry is predicted by the minimizing the repulsions between electron-pairs in the bonds and lone-pairs of electrons. The VSEPR theory is summarized in the given table as,

$\begin{array}{cccc}\text{Electron-pair}& \text{lone-pair}& \text{Electron-pair}\text{geometry}& \text{Molecular}\text{shape}\\ 2& 0& \text{Linear}& \text{Linear}\\ 3& 0& \text{Trigonal}\text{planar}& \text{Trigonal}\text{planar}\\ 2& 1& \text{Trigonal}\text{planar}& \text{Bent}\\ 4& 0& \text{Tetrahedral}& \text{Tetrahedral}\\ 3& 1& \text{Tetrahedral}& \text{Pyramidal}\\ 2& 2& \text{Tetrahedral}& \text{V}-\text{shape}\\ 5& 0& \text{Trigonal}\text{bipyramidal}& \text{Trigonal}\text{bipyramidal}\\ 4& 1& \text{Trigonal}\text{bipyramidal}& \text{See}-\text{saw}\\ 3& 2& \text{Trigonal}\text{bipyramidal}& \text{T}-\text{shape}\\ 2& 3& \text{Trigonal}\text{bipyramidal}& \text{Linear}\\ 6& 0& \text{Octahedral}& \text{Octahedral}\\ 5& 1& \text{Octahedral}& \text{Square}\text{pyramidal}\\ 4& 2& \text{Octahedral}& \text{Square}\text{planar}\end{array}$