How many regions of high electron density (rheds) surround the central aluminum atom in AlBr3?

• A. 6
• B. 3
• C. 2
• D. 4

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the central atom in the molecule, which is aluminum (Al) in AlBr\3.
2. Determine the number of atoms directly bonded to the central aluminum atom. In AlBr\3, aluminum is bonded to three bromine atoms.
3. Recall that regions of high electron density (RHEds) include both bonding pairs and lone pairs of electrons around the central atom.
4. Check if the central aluminum atom has any lone pairs. Aluminum typically forms three bonds and has no lone pairs in AlBr\3.
5. Conclude that the number of RHEds around aluminum equals the number of bonded atoms, which is 3 in this case.