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Which of the following species is not likely to have a tetrahedral shape?

NF4+
SF4 -THIS ONE IS CORRECT
BF4−
BeCl42−
SiBr4
AlCl4−

User Asmmo
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

SF4, or sulfur tetrafluoride, is not likely to have a tetrahedral shape due to its trigonal bipyramidal electron-pair geometry and seesaw molecular structure, which is the result of one lone pair of electrons on the sulfur atom.

Step-by-step explanation:

The molecule that is not likely to have a tetrahedral shape is SF4 (sulfur tetrafluoride). This compound has a trigonal bipyramidal electron-pair geometry and a seesaw molecular structure. The reason SF4 does not have a tetrahedral shape is due to the presence of one lone pair of electrons on the sulfur atom, which distorts the geometry from a perfect tetrahedron.

Other compounds listed like NF4+, BF4−, BeCl42−, SiBr4, and AlCl4− all have shapes that are essentially tetrahedral because they have four bonded atoms with no lone pairs on the central atom, leading to the tetrahedral molecular structure.

User Torleif
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