The molecule
has 12 pairs of valence electrons, and the correct answer is (c) 12.
To determine the number of valence electrons for a molecule, you need to consider the valence electrons of each individual atom in the molecule.
Boron (B) is in Group 13 of the periodic table, and it has 3 valence electrons.
Iodine (I) is in Group 17 of the periodic table, and it has 7 valence electrons.
For
, there is one boron atom and three iodine atoms. Therefore, the total number of valence electrons is:
![\[1 * (\text{valence electrons of boron}) + 3 * (\text{valence electrons of iodine})\]](https://img.qammunity.org/2024/formulas/chemistry/high-school/gcfv68ckheffuyzv1vchext29n2gjn1i2d.png)
![\[1 * 3 + 3 * 7 = 3 + 21 = 24\]](https://img.qammunity.org/2024/formulas/chemistry/high-school/icu5o5xl5bhfecqr5v7bynlr23zm3atgb8.png)
So, there are 24 valence electrons in
.
Now, since each bond involves two electrons, you divide the total number of valence electrons by 2 to get the number of pairs of valence electrons:
![\[(24)/(2) = 12\]](https://img.qammunity.org/2024/formulas/chemistry/high-school/93vz19taerpofg1pfb0mtibwx78itfbo39.png)
Therefore, the correct answer is (c) 12.