Question

The number of lone pairs of electrons in \[\ce{XeF4}\] is ______.

Options

• zero

• one

• two

• three

Answer 1

The number of lone pairs of electrons in \[\ce{XeF4}\] is two.

Explanation:

In \\[\ce{XeF4}\], xenon (\[\ce{Xe}\]) has 8 valence electrons. Four electrons are used to form bonds with the four fluorine atoms, leaving 4 electrons as two lone pairs on xenon. The molecule adopts a square planar shape to minimize repulsion, with two lone pairs placed opposite each other.