How many lone pairs are on the central atom in BCl3
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To determine the number of lone pairs on the central atom in a molecule like BCl3, we need to understand its Lewis structure. The Lewis structure for BCl3 consists of a central boron atom bonded to three chlorine atoms.
The central atom in BCl3 is boron (B). Boron is in Group 13 of the periodic table, so it has three valence electrons. Chlorine (Cl) is in Group 17 and has seven valence electrons.
To draw the Lewis structure, we start by placing the atoms in the molecule and connecting them with single bonds. In this case, we place the three chlorine atoms around the central boron atom.
B-Cl-Cl-Cl
Next, we need to distribute the remaining electrons to satisfy the octet rule. Since boron only has three valence electrons, we put only three electrons around it. This creates three single bonds between boron and chlorine atoms.
B-Cl • Cl • Cl
The remaining electrons are placed on the chlorine atoms to complete their octets, as they need one more electron each to reach the stable eight electrons.
B-Cl • Cl • Cl
In the Lewis structure, we can see that there are no non-bonding electrons or lone pairs on the central atom. Thus, the number of lone pairs on the central atom in BCl3 is 0.