Table of contents

1. Intro to General Chemistry3h 48m
2. Atoms & Elements4h 16m
3. Chemical Reactions4h 10m
4. BONUS: Lab Techniques and Procedures1h 38m
5. BONUS: Mathematical Operations and Functions48m
6. Chemical Quantities & Aqueous Reactions3h 53m
7. Gases3h 49m
8. Thermochemistry2h 37m
9. Quantum Mechanics2h 58m
10. Periodic Properties of the Elements3h 9m
11. Bonding & Molecular Structure3h 29m
12. Molecular Shapes & Valence Bond Theory1h 57m
13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces2h 23m
14. Solutions3h 1m
15. Chemical Kinetics2h 53m
16. Chemical Equilibrium2h 29m
17. Acid and Base Equilibrium5h 1m
18. Aqueous Equilibrium4h 47m
19. Chemical Thermodynamics1h 50m
20. Electrochemistry2h 42m
21. Nuclear Chemistry2h 36m
22. Organic Chemistry5h 7m
23. Chemistry of the Nonmetals2h 39m
24. Transition Metals and Coordination Compounds3h 16m

11. Bonding & Molecular Structure

Lewis Dot Structures: Neutral Compounds

General Chemistry

11. Bonding & Molecular Structure

Lewis Dot Structures: Neutral Compounds

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of the neutral compound PF3?

Phosphorus is surrounded by four single bonds to fluorine atoms and no lone pairs.

Phosphorus is surrounded by three single bonds to fluorine atoms and one lone pair.

Phosphorus forms three double bonds with fluorine atoms and has no lone pairs.

Phosphorus forms two single bonds and one double bond with fluorine atoms, with one lone pair.

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Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons available for the molecule PF3. Phosphorus (P) is in group 15 and has 5 valence electrons, and each fluorine (F) atom is in group 17 with 7 valence electrons. Since there are three fluorine atoms, calculate the total valence electrons as $5 + 3 \times 7$.

Step 2: Use the total valence electrons to draw a preliminary Lewis structure. Place phosphorus as the central atom and connect it to each fluorine atom with a single bond. Each single bond represents 2 electrons.

Step 3: Distribute the remaining electrons to satisfy the octet rule for the fluorine atoms first, since fluorine is more electronegative and typically completes its octet with lone pairs.

Step 4: After placing lone pairs on the fluorine atoms, check how many electrons remain for the phosphorus atom. Determine if phosphorus has a complete octet or if it has any lone pairs left.

Step 5: Analyze the bonding and lone pairs on phosphorus. Since phosphorus has 5 valence electrons and forms three single bonds (each bond uses 1 electron from phosphorus), phosphorus will have one lone pair remaining. This matches the description: phosphorus is surrounded by three single bonds to fluorine atoms and one lone pair.