Which type of hybridization of Xe is involved in `XeOF_4` molecule ?

Options

A. `sp^3`
B. `sp^3d`
C. `sp^3d^2`
D. `sp^3d^3`

Answer

To determine the hybridization of xenon (Xe) in the molecule XeOF₄, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Determine the Valence Electrons of Xenon
Xenon is a noble gas and has 8 valence electrons.

### Step 2: Count the Valence Electrons from the Ligands
- Each fluorine (F) contributes 1 electron, and there are 4 fluorine atoms:
\(4 \times 1 = 4\) electrons from fluorine.
- Oxygen (O) contributes 2 electrons when it forms a bond with xenon.

### Step 3: Calculate the Total Number of Electrons
Now, we can calculate the total number of electrons around xenon:
- Valence electrons from Xe: 8
- Valence electrons from 4 F: 4
- Valence electrons from O: 2

Total = \(8 + 4 + 2 = 14\) electrons.

### Step 4: Determine the Number of Electron Pairs
To find the number of electron pairs, we divide the total number of electrons by 2:
\[ \text{Number of electron pairs} = \frac{14}{2} = 7 \text{ pairs} \]

### Step 5: Identify the Hybridization
The hybridization can be determined based on the number of electron pairs:
- 2 pairs correspond to sp hybridization.
- 3 pairs correspond to sp² hybridization.
- 4 pairs correspond to sp³ hybridization.
- 5 pairs correspond to sp³d hybridization.
- 6 pairs correspond to sp³d² hybridization.

Since we have 7 pairs, this indicates that the hybridization is sp³d².

### Conclusion
The hybridization of xenon in the XeOF₄ molecule is **sp³d²**.

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