How do you determine the correct molecular shapes of #GeF_4#, #SeF_4#, and #XeF_4#?

1 Answer
anor277
May 22, 2018

By application of VESPER....

Explanation:

We got #"GeF"_4#...there are #"4 bonding orbitals"# around #Ge#...this is tetrahedral...,i.e. an analogue of #"SiCl"_4# or #"CCl"_4#.

And we got #SeF_4#...there are 2 lone pair electrons, and #4xxSe-F#, FIVE electron pairs around selenium...the electronic geometry is trigonal bipyramidal...with the lone pair occupying an equatorial site. the fluorines would conformationally mobile …

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And we #XeF_4# we gots SIX electron pairs around xenon....electronic structure is OCTAHEDRAL; molecular geometry is square planar.

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