(b) How many nonbonding electrons surround the Xe in XeF2?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the total number of valence electrons for xenon (Xe) and fluorine (F). Xenon has 8 valence electrons, and each fluorine has 7 valence electrons.
2. Calculate the total number of valence electrons in XeF2. Since there are two fluorine atoms, the total is 8 (from Xe) + 2 * 7 (from F) = 22 valence electrons.
3. Draw the Lewis structure for XeF2. Place xenon in the center and bond it to two fluorine atoms, using a pair of electrons for each bond.
4. Distribute the remaining electrons to satisfy the octet rule for the fluorine atoms first. Each fluorine will have 6 nonbonding electrons after forming a single bond with xenon.
5. Count the remaining electrons on xenon after the bonds and the octet rule for fluorine are satisfied. These remaining electrons are the nonbonding electrons on xenon.

Key Concepts

Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom and are crucial in determining how an atom interacts with others. For xenon (Xe), a noble gas, the valence shell contains eight electrons. Understanding the distribution of these electrons helps in predicting bonding and nonbonding electron pairs in molecules.

Lewis Structures

Lewis structures are diagrams that represent the bonding between atoms and the lone pairs of electrons in a molecule. They help visualize how many electrons are shared or remain unshared (nonbonding) around each atom. Drawing the Lewis structure for XeF2 will clarify the arrangement of electrons around xenon and the fluorine atoms.

Molecular Geometry

Molecular geometry refers to the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule. In the case of XeF2, the molecular geometry is linear due to the presence of three lone pairs on xenon, which repel the bonding pairs. This geometry is essential for understanding the spatial distribution of nonbonding electrons around the central atom.