{"id":224882,"date":"2025-06-03T14:48:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T14:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learnexams.com\/blog\/?p=224882"},"modified":"2025-06-03T14:48:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T14:48:28","slug":"write-the-lewis-structure-for-sef4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/2025\/06\/03\/write-the-lewis-structure-for-sef4\/","title":{"rendered":"Write the Lewis structure for SeF4."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Write the Lewis structure for SeF4. What is the correct information about the electron-pair arrangement and shape of the molecule? Select one: a. (Electron-pair arrangement: AX4, SN = 4; tetrahedral.) Shape: tetrahedral. b. (Electron-pair arrangement: AX2E, SN = 3; trigonal planar.) Shape: bent. c. (Electron-pair arrangement: AX4E2, SN = 6, and octahedral.) Shape: square planar. d. (Electron-pair arrangement: AX4E, SN = 5, and trigonal bipyramidal.) Shape: seesaw. e. (Electron-pair arrangement: AX2E3, SN = 5, and trigonal bipyramidal.) Shape: linear<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The correct answer is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
d. (Electron-pair arrangement: AX\u2084E, SN = 5, and trigonal bipyramidal.) Shape: seesaw.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Explanation:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To understand the Lewis structure and molecular geometry of selenium tetrafluoride (SeF\u2084)<\/strong>, we begin by determining its valence electrons<\/strong> and applying VSEPR (Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion) theory<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Lewis Structure<\/strong>:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Selenium (Se)<\/strong> is in Group 16 and has 6 valence electrons<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Each fluorine (F)<\/strong> atom contributes 7 valence electrons<\/strong>, and there are 4 fluorine atoms<\/strong>, giving a total of 28 electrons<\/strong> from fluorine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Total valence electrons: 6 (Se) + 28 (F) = 34 electrons<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Selenium forms four single bonds<\/strong> with fluorine atoms, using 8 electrons<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Each fluorine needs 6 more electrons to complete its octet (24 electrons in total).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • So far: 8 (Se\u2013F bonds) + 24 (F lone pairs) = 32 electrons<\/strong> used.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • We have 34 \u2013 32 = 2 electrons<\/strong> left. These go on the central Se atom as a lone pair<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    Thus, Se has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • 4 bonding pairs<\/strong> (to F)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 1 lone pair<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      This gives a Steric Number (SN) of 5<\/strong> \u2192 5 regions of electron density around Se.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      2. Electron-Pair Geometry<\/strong>:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
      With 5 regions of electron density, the electron-pair geometry is trigonal bipyramidal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      3. Molecular Shape (Actual Shape)<\/strong>:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
      One of the positions is occupied by a lone pair<\/strong>, and four positions are occupied by F atoms. In a trigonal bipyramidal geometry, lone pairs prefer the equatorial position<\/strong> to minimize repulsion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      So, with 4 bonds and 1 lone pair:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • The molecular shape is seesaw<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        Final Answer:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
        d. (Electron-pair arrangement: AX\u2084E, SN = 5, and trigonal bipyramidal.) Shape: seesaw.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
        \"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
        Write the Lewis structure for SeF4. What is the correct information about the electron-pair arrangement and shape of the molecule? Select one: a. (Electron-pair arrangement: AX4, SN = 4; tetrahedral.) Shape: tetrahedral. b. (Electron-pair arrangement: AX2E, SN = 3; trigonal planar.) Shape: bent. c. (Electron-pair arrangement: AX4E2, SN = 6, and octahedral.) Shape: square planar. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-224882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exams-certification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224882"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224882\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}