Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of the neutral compound XeO2F2?
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11. Bonding & Molecular Structure
Lewis Dot Structures: Neutral Compounds
Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of neutral SeH_4?
A
Selenium is surrounded by four single bonds to hydrogen and has one lone pair.
B
Selenium is surrounded by four single bonds to hydrogen and has no lone pairs.
C
Selenium is surrounded by four single bonds to hydrogen and has two lone pairs.
D
Selenium forms double bonds with two hydrogens and has two lone pairs.
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons for the molecule SeH_4. Selenium (Se) is in group 16, so it has 6 valence electrons, and each hydrogen (H) has 1 valence electron. Calculate the total as \(6 + 4 \times 1 = 10\) valence electrons.
Step 2: Draw the skeletal structure with selenium as the central atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms. Each Se-H bond represents a pair of shared electrons (2 electrons per bond).
Step 3: Assign electrons to the bonds first. Since there are four Se-H bonds, that accounts for \(4 \times 2 = 8\) electrons used.
Step 4: Distribute the remaining electrons (total valence electrons minus bonding electrons) as lone pairs on the central atom. Here, \$10 - 8 = 2$ electrons remain, which form one lone pair on selenium.
Step 5: Confirm that selenium follows the octet rule by counting its bonding and lone pair electrons. Selenium has 4 bonds (8 electrons) plus 1 lone pair (2 electrons), totaling 10 electrons, which is acceptable for elements in period 4 and beyond due to their ability to expand the octet.
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