Final answer:
The structural formula of fluorine, F₂, is two fluorine atoms connected by a single covalent bond, each with three lone pairs of electrons. The bond type is a single covalent bond, confirmed by molecular orbital analysis with a bond order of 1.
Step-by-step explanation:
The structural formula for fluorine (F₂) consists of two fluorine atoms, each with seven valence electrons, bonded together. To draw this, you place two fluorine symbols (F) next to each other and connect them with a single line, which represents a pair of shared electrons forming a covalent bond. Each fluorine atom additionally has three pairs of non-bonding electrons, illustrated as dots around the symbol.
The type of bond in a fluorine molecule is a single covalent bond. This bond is formed by two fluorine atoms sharing one pair of electrons still adhering to the octet rule, considering each atom's seven valence electrons. In a Lewis structure, each fluorine atom in F₂ would have three lone pair electrons that do not participate in bonding and one bonding pair that does.
A molecular orbital analysis further confirms that F₂ has a stable single bond, with a bond order of 1, as calculated by the difference between bonding and antibonding electrons, divided by two, (8 - 6) ÷ 2 = 1.