JEE Main · 2020 · Shift-IIhardBOND-024

The shape/structure of [XeF5]- and XeO3F2, respectively are:

Chemical Bonding · Class 11 · JEE Main Previous Year Question

Question

The shape/structure of [XeF5]\mathrm{[XeF_5]^-} and XeO3F2\mathrm{XeO_3F_2}, respectively are:

Options
  1. a

    Pentagonal planar and trigonal bipyramidal

  2. b

    Octahedral and square pyramidal

  3. c

    Trigonal bipyramidal and pentagonal planar

  4. d

    Trigonal bipyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal

Correct Answera

Pentagonal planar and trigonal bipyramidal

Detailed Solution

🧠 Use the steric number method for each xenon species. Xe has 8 valence electrons; account for the ionic charge when counting.

\ce[XeF5]\ce{[XeF5]-}: Xe valence e = 8; charge −1 adds 1e → 9e on Xe. 5 bonds use 5e from Xe, leaving 4e = 2 lone pairs. Steric number = 5 + 2 = 7 → pentagonal bipyramidal electron geometry. The 2 LP take axial positions → pentagonal planar molecular shape.

\ceXeO3F2\ce{XeO3F2}: Xe bonds to 3 O (double bonds, but count as 1 σ-bond group each) + 2 F = 5 bond groups. Remaining Xe valence electrons: 8 − 5 = 3e... effectively 0 lone pairs in the σ-framework. Steric number = 5 + 0 = 5 → trigonal bipyramidal.

⚠️ Trap: Option (b) proposes "octahedral" for \ce[XeF5]\ce{[XeF5]-} — octahedral requires 6 bond groups, not 5. With 7 electron groups and 2 LP, the molecular shape is pentagonal planar, not octahedral.

Answer: (a) Pentagonal planar and trigonal bipyramidal\boxed{\text{Answer: (a) Pentagonal planar and trigonal bipyramidal}}

Practice this question with progress tracking

Want timed practice with adaptive difficulty? Solve this question (and hundreds more from Chemical Bonding) inside The Crucible, our adaptive practice platform.

The shape/structure of [XeF5]- and XeO3F2, respectively are: (JEE Main 2020) | Canvas Classes