Given that ICl_3 is sp^3d hybridized, what are its electronic and molecular geometries?

• A. Electronic geometry: trigonal bipyramidal; Molecular geometry: T-shaped
• B. Electronic geometry: tetrahedral; Molecular geometry: trigonal planar
• C. Electronic geometry: trigonal bipyramidal; Molecular geometry: linear
• D. Electronic geometry: octahedral; Molecular geometry: square planar

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the central atom and count the total number of electron domains (regions of electron density) around it. For ICl_3, iodine is the central atom, and it has 3 bonded atoms (Cl) plus 2 lone pairs, making a total of 5 electron domains.
2. Determine the electronic geometry based on the total number of electron domains. According to VSEPR theory, 5 electron domains correspond to a trigonal bipyramidal electronic geometry.
3. Next, consider the positions of the lone pairs. Lone pairs occupy equatorial positions in a trigonal bipyramidal arrangement to minimize repulsion.
4. Determine the molecular geometry by focusing only on the positions of the bonded atoms (ignoring lone pairs). With 3 bonded atoms and 2 lone pairs in trigonal bipyramidal geometry, the molecular shape is T-shaped.
5. Summarize: The electronic geometry is trigonal bipyramidal (due to 5 electron domains), and the molecular geometry is T-shaped (due to 3 bonded atoms and 2 lone pairs).