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NF3 has three F atoms bonded to a central N atom, with one lone electron

pair on the N. What is the shape of this molecule?
O
A. Tetrahedral
O
B. Trigonal planar
O
C. Bent
O
D. Trigonal pyramidal

User Chastidy
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2 Answers

1 vote

Final answer:

NF3 exhibits a trigonal pyramidal shape due to its sp³ hybridization, with three bonded fluorine atoms and one lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom.

Step-by-step explanation:

The molecule in question is NF3, which consists of one nitrogen atom (N) and three fluorine atoms (F). The nitrogen atom in NF3 is sp³ hybridized, utilizing one sp³ hybrid orbital to form a bond with each of the three fluorine atoms, and the remaining sp³ hybrid orbital accommodates a lone pair of electrons. Considering the presence of three bonded pairs and one lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom, the molecular geometry of NF3 is trigonal pyramidal. This geometric shape resembles a tetrahedron with one vertex missing, due to the presence of the lone electron pair on nitrogen, which slightly distorts the angles between the bonds.

User Silia
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5.6k points
2 votes

D Trigonal pyramidal

Step-by-step explanation:

User Marius Burz
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5.2k points