Scientists in 1962 became very excited when they were able to create xenon tetrafluoride. Why was this an unusual feat?

Until then everyone thought the "inert gases" really were inert(unreactive). The term inert is not used anymore; these are now called noble gases.

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The excitement among scientists in 1962 surrounding the creation of xenon tetrafluoride (XeF4) stemmed from its unusual feat for multiple reasons:

1. Noble gas reactivity: Xenon (Xe) belongs to the noble gas group, which are typically known for their inertness and lack of reactivity. Noble gases have a completed electron shell, making them stable and unlikely to form compounds. Therefore, the ability to create a compound like XeF4, where xenon is combined with fluorine (F), was unexpected and intriguing.

2. Electronegativity differences: Fluorine is highly electronegative, meaning it has a strong tendency to attract electrons towards itself in a chemical bond. On the other hand, xenon has a low electronegativity, so the formation of a compound where xenon shares its electrons with fluorine was considered unconventional.

3. Steric challenges: XeF4 has a square planar molecular geometry, which is a unique structure among compounds formed by noble gases. In this arrangement, four fluorine atoms surround the central xenon atom, bonded through covalent bonds. The steric challenges arise from the large size of xenon compared to fluorine atoms, making it unexpected for them to pack around a central atom.

The creation of XeF4 challenged the conventional understanding of noble gases and their chemical reactivity. It opened up new possibilities for the synthesis of compounds involving noble gases and expanded the frontiers of chemical knowledge.