Question

Draw the most likely Lewis structure for the molecule BF3. Include all lone pairs of electrons.

Answer 1

We can see here that the Lewis structure of
`BF_(3)`, or boron trifluoride, is depicted as follows:

• Boron (B) has three valence electrons.

• Fluorine (F) has seven valence electrons each.

In this structure, Boron forms three single bonds with three fluorine atoms, completing its octet by sharing electrons with each fluorine atom. Each fluorine atom ends up with a complete octet by sharing one electron with Boron. The molecule has a trigonal planar shape with 120-degree bond angles between the fluorine atoms.

A Lewis structure is a simplified representation of the arrangement of atoms, bonding electrons, and nonbonding (lone pair) electrons in a molecule or an ion.