Question

+91) Explain Draw an electron dot structure for

each molecule and explain why it fails to obey
the octet rule.
a. BeF₂
b. SiF6
c. ClO₂
d. BF3
e. XeF₂

Answer 1

This detailed answer explains the electron dot structures of several molecules and why they fail to obey the octet rule.

Step-by-step explanation:

Electron dot structures, also known as Lewis structures, represent the valence electrons of atoms in a molecule. The octet rule states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons in order to achieve a stable electron configuration with eight valence electrons (except for hydrogen and helium who achieve stability with two valence electrons).

Now let's analyze the electron dot structures of each molecule and why they fail to obey the octet rule:

1. BeF₂: This molecule has a central beryllium (Be) atom bonded to two fluorine (F) atoms. Beryllium only has four valence electrons, so it can only form two bonds. As a result, BeF2 does not fulfill the octet rule because the beryllium atom only has four electrons around it.
2. SiF6: This molecule has a central silicon (Si) atom bonded to six fluorine (F) atoms. Silicon has four valence electrons, so it can form four bonds. However, in this case, silicon forms six bonds, exceeding the octet rule. This is possible because silicon can access its empty d-orbitals to accommodate more than four pairs of electrons.
3. ClO₂: This molecule has a central chlorine (Cl) atom bonded to two oxygen (O) atoms. Chlorine has seven valence electrons, so it can form one bond. However, in ClO2, it forms two bonds, which means it has one lone pair of electrons. The presence of this lone pair causes the molecule to deviate from the octet rule.

Learn more about Electron dot structures