What is the value of the smallest bond angle in XeF4?
90 degrees
To find the smallest bond angle in XeF4, we first need to determine the molecular geometry of XeF4.
XeF4 has a total of six electron groups around the central xenon (Xe) atom, consisting of four fluorine (F) atoms and two lone pairs of electrons.
According to the VSEPR (Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion) theory, the lone pairs of electrons will try to spread out as far as possible to minimize repulsion, resulting in the electron groups being arranged in a square planar geometry.
In a square planar molecule, the bond angles between the atoms will be 90 degrees. However, the question asks for the smallest bond angle, so we need to consider the bond angles involving the lone pairs of electrons.
The smallest bond angle occurs between the xenon atom and one of the lone pairs. In this case, the bond angle is formed by one of the lone pairs and two fluorine atoms.
Since there are two lone pairs in XeF4, this means there are two possible bond angles with the smallest value.
Each bond angle involving a lone pair will be slightly less than 90 degrees due to repulsion from the lone pairs. However, the exact value of the bond angle cannot be determined without further information.
Therefore, we can conclude that the value of the smallest bond angle in XeF4 is less than 90 degrees, but the exact value is not provided.
To determine the value of the smallest bond angle in XeF4, we need to first understand its molecular geometry. In the case of XeF4, the central xenon atom is surrounded by four fluorine atoms.
XeF4 has a square planar molecular geometry. This means that the four fluorine atoms are arranged in a plane around the central xenon atom, forming a square shape.
In a square planar geometry, we can calculate the bond angle by dividing 360° by the number of atoms bonded to the central atom. In this case, the smallest bond angle occurs between two adjacent fluorine atoms.
Since there are four fluorine atoms bonded to the central xenon atom in XeF4, the bond angles are equal and can be calculated as follows:
Bond angle = 360° / (number of atoms bonded to central atom)
Bond angle = 360° / 4
Bond angle = 90°
Hence, the smallest bond angle in XeF4 is 90°.