How many lone pairs are on the Br atom in BrCl?
The correct answer and explanation is :
In the molecule BrCl, the bromine (Br) atom has 3 lone pairs of electrons.
Explanation:
To determine the number of lone pairs on the Br atom in BrCl, we need to consider the following:
- Valence Electrons:
Bromine (Br) is in Group 17 of the periodic table (also known as the halogens). It has 7 valence electrons, as all elements in Group 17 have 7 electrons in their outermost shell. - Bonding in BrCl:
In BrCl, bromine forms a single covalent bond with chlorine (Cl). Chlorine, like bromine, is also in Group 17 and has 7 valence electrons. When bromine and chlorine form a bond, they share one electron each, which constitutes a single covalent bond. - Electron Distribution:
After forming the single bond, each atom still has electrons left to complete their octet. The bonding between Br and Cl accounts for two electrons, one from each atom. - Remaining Electrons on Br:
Since bromine originally has 7 valence electrons and uses 1 of them to bond with chlorine, it has 6 remaining electrons. These 6 electrons will be arranged as 3 lone pairs (each lone pair consists of 2 electrons). - Lone Pairs on Br:
Therefore, after the bonding, the Br atom will have 3 lone pairs of electrons, meaning that the 6 remaining electrons are not involved in bonding and are localized on the Br atom as lone pairs.
Conclusion:
In BrCl, the Br atom has 3 lone pairs of electrons. This is determined by the number of valence electrons (7 for Br) and the bonding with chlorine, leaving 6 electrons, which are arranged as 3 lone pairs.