Which of the following xenon compounds are too unstable to exist?

• A. XeF₂
• B. XeI₄
• C. XeF₄
• D. XeF₆

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the stability of xenon compounds. Xenon is a noble gas, and it can form compounds with highly electronegative elements like fluorine and iodine.
2. Step 2: Consider the electronegativity of the halogens involved. Fluorine is more electronegative than iodine, which generally makes xenon-fluorine compounds more stable than xenon-iodine compounds.
3. Step 3: Analyze the given compounds: XeF2, XeF4, XeF6, and XeI4. Xenon forms stable compounds with fluorine due to the high electronegativity and small size of fluorine atoms.
4. Step 4: Evaluate the stability of XeI4. Iodine is less electronegative and larger in size compared to fluorine, which can lead to less stable compounds with xenon.
5. Step 5: Conclude that XeI4 is likely too unstable to exist due to the lower electronegativity and larger atomic size of iodine compared to fluorine, making it less favorable for stable compound formation with xenon.