Does SF5 exhibit hypervalency?
I believe yes as it has an extended octet...please confirm this for me, thanks for your help!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervalent_molecule
Yes, but SF5 has an uneven number of electrons (41) while SF5^- has an even number.
Yes, SF5 exhibits hypervalency. Hypervalency refers to the ability of an atom to bond with more than the usual number of valence electrons. In the case of SF5, sulfur (S) is the central atom, and it has 10 valence electrons. In a normal Lewis structure, sulfur would form bonds to five fluorine (F) atoms, each contributing one electron, giving sulfur a total of 10 valence electrons. However, when sulfur forms bonds with the five fluorine atoms in SF5, it actually has 12 electrons around it, which exceeds the usual octet (eight electrons) for sulfur.
To confirm this information, you can follow these steps:
1. Determine the number of valence electrons for sulfur (S) by referring to its position in the periodic table. Sulfur is in Group 16, so it has six valence electrons.
2. Determine the number of valence electrons for fluorine (F) by referring to its position in the periodic table. Fluorine is in Group 17, so it has seven valence electrons.
3. Multiply the number of fluorine atoms (5) by the number of valence electrons per fluorine atom (7).
4. Add the number of valence electrons for sulfur to the product obtained in step 3.
(6 + 5 x 7 = 41)
5. Compare the total number of valence electrons obtained in step 4 with the number of electrons present in the Lewis structure of SF5.
(10 valence electrons around sulfur in the Lewis structure)
Since the Lewis structure shows sulfur with more than its usual octet, SF5 is an example of hypervalency.