Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of the neutral compound XeF_4?

• A. XeF_4 has a central xenon atom surrounded by four fluorine atoms and no lone pairs on xenon.
• B. XeF_4 has a central xenon atom surrounded by four fluorine atoms and two lone pairs on xenon.
• C. XeF_4 has a central xenon atom surrounded by four fluorine atoms and one lone pair on xenon.
• D. XeF_4 has a central xenon atom surrounded by six fluorine atoms and no lone pairs on xenon.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons available for bonding in XeF_4. Xenon (Xe) is in group 18 and has 8 valence electrons, while each fluorine (F) atom is in group 17 and has 7 valence electrons. Since there are 4 fluorine atoms, multiply 7 by 4 and add to xenon's 8 electrons.
2. Step 2: Draw the skeletal structure with xenon as the central atom bonded to four fluorine atoms. Each Xe–F bond represents a pair of shared electrons (2 electrons per bond).
3. Step 3: Subtract the electrons used in bonding from the total valence electrons to find the number of remaining electrons. These leftover electrons will be placed as lone pairs on the atoms, starting with the outer atoms (fluorines) to complete their octets.
4. Step 4: After completing the octets of the fluorine atoms, place any remaining electrons as lone pairs on the central xenon atom. Since xenon is in period 5, it can expand its octet and accommodate more than 8 electrons.
5. Step 5: Count the number of lone pairs on xenon after placing all electrons. This will help confirm the correct Lewis structure description, which includes the number of fluorine atoms bonded and the number of lone pairs on xenon.