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Multiple Choice
How many lone pairs are on the central element for the following compound:AsH3.
A
0
B
1
C
2
D
3
2 Comments
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the central atom in the compound AsH3. In this case, the central atom is arsenic (As).
Determine the total number of valence electrons for the central atom, arsenic (As). Arsenic is in group 15 of the periodic table, so it has 5 valence electrons.
Count the number of hydrogen atoms bonded to arsenic. There are 3 hydrogen atoms, each forming a single bond with arsenic.
Calculate the number of electrons used in bonding. Each As-H bond uses 2 electrons, so 3 bonds use 6 electrons in total.
Subtract the number of bonding electrons from the total valence electrons of arsenic to find the number of lone pair electrons. Since arsenic has 5 valence electrons and 6 are used in bonding, the remaining electrons form lone pairs.