Destroyer GC 139

[385835]

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Since non-bonding electrons exhibit the most repulsion and so shouldn't they be axil?

This would mean the bonding atoms are equitorial and the shape is see-saw. The answer key says this is wrong, but I kind of disagree.

 

[jefff]

i chose see-saw also...

it was undeniably sp3d and i agree/think that the non-bonding electrons should exhibit more repulsion so in my opinion i couldnt imagine it being linear

having said that...i also never heard a reference to axial and equatorial positions on a molecule that wasn't 6 carbons and cyclic in chair conformation

can anyone shed some light on this?

 

[Gomsemari]

i believe it's linear cuz, when u draw it out, Xe is in the middle, and there are three lone pairs around Xe, making a triangle. and then on top and bottom of Xe, there are one F each. and finally, when u visualize that, F-Xe-F is linear. 180 degrees apart. and yes, sp3d cuz there;re five members(?)

i dont know that axial and eq. thing on this one.

also, if u've watched chads videos , his notes for gc have a nice table for molecular geometry shapes , that table also says it should be linear.
hope that makes sense 😉

 

[385835]

I checked my Gen Chem textbook and the bonded atoms are linear. I still know why this happens, but it certainly does. So stick with that on the DAT test.

 

[jefff]

ok cool, thanks guys 🙂
alright i think i got it since the Xe has a hybridization of sp3d it would normally be trigonal bipyrimidal (if they were all bonding domains)

and so the only way to position the 3 lone pairs so they are equally separated at the furthest distance from each other (which ends up being 120 degrees?) would be on the 'equatorial' position

so the F- bonds are 180 degrees from each other and therefore it is linear!