Calculate the number of lone pairs on central atom in the following molecule and predict the geometry.
`XeF_(4)`

Explanation

To solve the problem of calculating the number of lone pairs on the central atom in the molecule \( \text{XeF}_4 \) and predicting its geometry, we will follow these steps:

### Step 1: Determine the Valence Electrons
Xenon (Xe) is the central atom in \( \text{XeF}_4 \). It is in group 18 of the periodic table and has 8 valence electrons. Each fluorine (F) atom contributes 1 valence electron, and since there are 4 fluorine atoms, they contribute a total of \( 4 \times 1 = 4 \) valence electrons.

**Total valence electrons = Valence electrons of Xe + Valence electrons from F**
\[
\text{Total valence electrons} = 8 + 4 = 12
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