GC Question.

[MissionDAT]

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DAT Destroyer Q # 173: How many lone electron pairs are found in AsBr3?
a) 8
b) 10
c) 12
d) 6
e) 2


Shouldnt the Ans be 1 pair?

Can someone help me with this?
is the answer wrong in Destroyer?

 

[Menthol]

3 lone pairs on BR *3=9
one lone pair on AS =1
=
10 🙂

 

[Dr.9999]

Yes there is one pair on As but they are asking for the entire compound. As has one pair and each Bromine has 3 pairs of electrons and since there are 3 bromine: 3+3+3= 9 pairs of electrons just around the bromines plus the one pair on As which equals to 10 total pair of electrons. Hope this helps 🙂
As=1 pair
Br3= 3 pair of electrons

 

[MissionDAT]

Thanks for the explanation guys, but shouldn't we consider only the lone pair of elections of the least electronegative atom (or the central atom on the molecule) to determine the molecular structure?

 

[two thirty]

Thanks for the explanation guys, but shouldn't we consider only the lone pair of elections of the least electronegative atom (or the central atom on the molecule) to determine the molecular structure?

Yes, but that's not what the question is asking.