Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of the neutral compound SF_2?

• A. Sulfur is the central atom with two double bonds to fluorine atoms and no lone pairs on sulfur.
• B. Sulfur is the central atom with one single bond and one double bond to fluorine atoms and one lone pair on sulfur.
• C. Sulfur is the central atom with two single bonds to fluorine atoms and two lone pairs on sulfur.
• D. Fluorine is the central atom with single bonds to two sulfur atoms.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Identify the total number of valence electrons in the molecule SF_2. Sulfur (S) is in group 16 and has 6 valence electrons, and each fluorine (F) atom is in group 17 with 7 valence electrons. Calculate the total by adding these together: \$6 + 2 \times 7$.
2. Step 2: Determine the central atom. Generally, the less electronegative atom is the central atom. Between sulfur and fluorine, sulfur is less electronegative, so sulfur will be the central atom.
3. Step 3: Draw single bonds between the central sulfur atom and each fluorine atom. Each single bond represents 2 electrons shared between atoms.
4. Step 4: Distribute the remaining valence electrons to satisfy the octet rule. Start by completing the octets of the fluorine atoms (each fluorine needs 8 electrons total, including bonding electrons). Then place any leftover electrons as lone pairs on the sulfur atom.
5. Step 5: Check the formal charges and the octet rule for all atoms. Ensure that sulfur has a complete octet and that the structure has no unnecessary charges. This will confirm that sulfur has two single bonds to fluorine atoms and two lone pairs on sulfur.