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A molecule has one lone pair of electrons on the central atom and three atoms bonded to the central atom. The central atom follows the octet rule. What is its electronic arrangement and its hybridization?

1. angular; sp³
2. pyramidal; sp³
3. tetrahedral; sp²
4. tetrahedral; sp³
5. trigonal planar; sp³
6. pyramidal; sp²
7. trigonal planar; sp²

1 Answer

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Final answer:

A molecule with one lone pair and three bonded atoms using the octet rule will exhibit a tetrahedral electron-pair geometry and an sp³ hybridization, resulting in a pyramidal physical structure. The correct answer is 4. tetrahedral; sp³.

Step-by-step explanation:

The molecule described, having one lone pair of electrons on the central atom and three atoms bonded to the central atom while following the octet rule, has a tetrahedral electron-pair geometry. Since there are four regions of electron density (three bonding pairs and one lone pair), the central atom will be sp³ hybridized.

The physical structure, however, will be pyramidal due to the lone pair causing a distortion of the tetrahedral geometry.

The molecule with one lone pair of electrons on the central atom and three atoms bonded to the central atom has a tetrahedral electron arrangement and sp³ hybridization.

This means that the central atom is surrounded by four regions of electron density and needs four identical sp³ hybrid orbitals to accommodate these regions. Each of these hybrid orbitals points towards a different corner of a tetrahedron.

User Tarun Reddy
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