Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of the neutral compound TeF_2?

• A. Te is the central atom with two double bonds to F atoms and no lone pairs on Te.
• B. Te is the central atom with two single bonds to F atoms and two lone pairs on Te.
• C. Te is the central atom with two single bonds to F atoms and one lone pair on Te.
• D. Te is the central atom with three single bonds to F atoms and one lone pair on Te.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons available for the molecule TeF_2. Tellurium (Te) is in group 16, so it has 6 valence electrons, and each fluorine (F) atom has 7 valence electrons. Since there are two fluorine atoms, total valence electrons = 6 (Te) + 2 × 7 (F) = 20 electrons.
2. Step 2: Identify the central atom, which is usually the least electronegative element. Here, Te is less electronegative than F, so Te is the central atom.
3. Step 3: Connect the central atom to each fluorine atom with single bonds. Each single bond consists of 2 electrons, so 2 bonds use 4 electrons, leaving 16 electrons to be distributed as lone pairs.
4. Step 4: Distribute the remaining electrons to satisfy the octet rule for the fluorine atoms first. Each fluorine needs 6 more electrons (3 lone pairs) to complete its octet, so 2 fluorines require 12 electrons. Subtracting these 12 electrons from the remaining 16 leaves 4 electrons to be placed as lone pairs on Te.
5. Step 5: Assign the remaining 4 electrons as two lone pairs on the central Te atom. This arrangement satisfies the octet rule for all atoms and matches the description: Te with two single bonds to F atoms and two lone pairs on Te.