Lewis structure XeH4? The hydrogen atom is not actually electronegative enough to form bonds to xenon. Were the xenon-hydrogen bond to exist, what would be the structure of XeH4?

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Sarah

Chemistry

10 April, 20:00

Lewis structure XeH4? The hydrogen atom is not actually electronegative enough to form bonds to xenon. Were the xenon-hydrogen bond to exist, what would be the structure of XeH4?

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Isabela Osborne · Answer 1

Xenon has 8 valence electrons, each hydrogen atom has 1, therefore you have 8+4=12 valence electrons. 8 electrons are used to make 4 bonds between the Xe atom and the 4 hydrogen atoms. That leaves 12-8=4 left over electrons, which will occur in two lone pairs of electrons on the center xenon atom. There are 4 bonding pairs and two lone pairs of electrons and they will be arranged in an octahedral arrangement around the center atom, with the lone pairs across the molecule (180 degrees from each other). The resulting molecular structure will be square planar.

8+4=12 valence electrons. 8 electrons are used to make 4 bonds between the Xe atom and the 4 hydrogen atoms. That leaves 12-8=4 left over electrons, which will occur in two lone pairs of electrons on the center xenon atom. There are 4 bonding pairs and two lone pairs of electrons and they will be arranged in an octahedral arrangement around the center atom, with the lone pairs across the molecule. The resulting structure is square planar.