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Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of SF_4 (sulfur tetrafluoride)?
A
Sulfur is surrounded by four fluorine atoms and no lone pairs of electrons.
B
Sulfur is surrounded by four fluorine atoms and two lone pairs of electrons.
C
Sulfur is surrounded by five fluorine atoms and no lone pairs of electrons.
D
Sulfur is surrounded by four fluorine atoms and one lone pair of electrons.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons in SF_4. Sulfur (S) is in group 16 and has 6 valence electrons, and each fluorine (F) atom is in group 17 with 7 valence electrons. Since there are 4 fluorine atoms, calculate the total valence electrons as: $6 + 4 \times 7$.
Step 2: Draw the skeletal structure with sulfur as the central atom bonded to four fluorine atoms. Each S-F bond represents 2 electrons shared between sulfur and fluorine.
Step 3: Subtract the electrons used in bonding from the total valence electrons to find the remaining electrons. These remaining electrons will be placed as lone pairs on the atoms, starting with fluorine atoms to complete their octets.
Step 4: After placing lone pairs on fluorine atoms, check how many electrons remain. Assign any leftover electrons as lone pairs on the central sulfur atom.
Step 5: Confirm the Lewis structure by verifying that sulfur has an expanded octet (which is possible for elements in period 3 and beyond) and that the total number of electrons used matches the total valence electrons calculated initially. This will show that sulfur is surrounded by four fluorine atoms and one lone pair of electrons.