Final answer:
The molecular geometry of SF4O is determined by examining the arrangement of electron pairs around the sulfur atom, considering the seesaw-shaped structure of SF4 and replacing one lone pair with an oxygen atom. The correct answer is option c.
Step-by-step explanation:
The molecular geometry of SF4O, or sulfur tetrafluoride oxide, can be determined by examining the arrangement of electron pairs around the central sulfur atom. SF4O has a central sulfur atom with five regions of electron density: four bonding pairs with fluorine atoms and one bonding pair with an oxygen atom.
According to VSEPR theory, a molecule with five regions of electron density typically has a trigonal bipyramidal electron-pair geometry. However, since the central atom is bonded to different atoms, the actual molecular geometry adjusts to accommodate different bond angles and bond lengths.
Considering the information provided that SF4 has a seesaw-shaped molecular structure because one of the regions is a lone pair, and by analogy, when that lone pair is replaced by an oxygen atom to create SF4O, the geometry likely changes. The molecule most closely resembles a square pyramidal structure since the addition of an oxygen atom creates a pyramidal shape with the sulfur atom at the apex and the four fluorine atoms and one oxygen atom at the base.
Therefore, the correct molecular geometry for SF4O is square pyramidal (option c).