What is the hybridization of the central atom in the sulfur tetrabromide (SBr4) molecule?
The central atom in the sulfur tetrabromide molecule (SBr4) is sulfur (S).
To determine the hybridization of the central atom, we count the number of electron domains around the central atom. This includes the number of lone electron pairs and the number of bonded atoms.
In SBr4, there are 4 bromine atoms bonded to the central sulfur atom, and no lone electron pairs. So, the total number of electron domains is 4.
The hybridization of an atom with 4 electron domains is sp3. Therefore, the central sulfur atom in SBr4 is sp3 hybridized.