Determine the number of electron groups for the following cation:AsBr₂⁺.

• A. 2
• B. 3
• C. 4
• D. 1

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the central atom in the cation AsBr2+. In this case, the central atom is arsenic (As).
2. Determine the number of valence electrons for the central atom, arsenic (As). Arsenic is in group 15 of the periodic table, so it has 5 valence electrons.
3. Consider the charge of the cation. The cation has a +1 charge, which means it has lost one electron. Therefore, subtract one electron from the total valence electrons of arsenic, resulting in 4 valence electrons.
4. Count the number of atoms bonded to the central atom. In AsBr2+, there are two bromine (Br) atoms bonded to arsenic.
5. Calculate the total number of electron groups around the central atom by adding the number of bonded atoms (2) and the number of lone pairs. Since there are 4 valence electrons and 2 are used for bonding with Br atoms, 2 electrons remain as a lone pair, resulting in 3 electron groups (2 bonded pairs + 1 lone pair).