The ground state electronic configuration of S is `3s^(2) 3 p^(4)` . How does it form the compound `SF_(6)` ?

Options

A. Due to octahedral shape of S atoms
B. Due to presence of vacant 3d- orbitals which provide 6 unpaired electrons in excited state
C. Due to `sp^(3)` hybridisation of S atom which provides 6 electrons to 6 F atoms
D. Due to presence of 3 sigma and 3 pi bonds between S and F

Explanation

To understand how sulfur (S) forms the compound SF₆ despite its ground state electronic configuration of 3s² 3p⁴, we need to analyze the electronic configuration and the concept of hybridization.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Ground State Configuration**:
- The ground state electronic configuration of sulfur is 3s² 3p⁴. This indicates that sulfur has 2 electrons in the 3s orbital and 4 electrons in the 3p orbitals.

2. **Determine the Valence Electrons**:
- In the outermost shell (n=3), sulfur has a total of 6 valence electrons (2 from 3s and 4 from 3p).

3. **Consider the Need for Bonding**:
- To form SF₆, sulfur needs to bond with 6 fluorine atoms. Each fluorine atom requires one electron to complete its octet, meaning sulfur must be able to share 6 electrons.

4. **Excited State Configuration**:
- In order to accommodate 6 bonding pairs, sulfur can promote one of its 3s electrons to the vacant 3d orbital. This results in an excited state configuration where:
- 3s has 1 unpaired electron,
- 3p has 3 unpaired electrons,
- 3d has 2 unpaired electrons.
- This gives a total of 6 unpaired electrons available for bonding.

5. **Hybridization**:
- The excited state leads to the formation of hybrid orbitals. In the case of SF₆, sulfur undergoes **sp³d² hybridization**. This hybridization involves mixing one 3s, three 3p, and two 3d orbitals to form six equivalent sp³d² hybrid orbitals.

6. **Formation of SF₆**:
- Each of the six sp³d² hybrid orbitals can overlap with the p orbital of a fluorine atom, forming six sigma bonds. This results in the formation of the SF₆ molecule, which has an octahedral geometry.

### Conclusion:
Sulfur can form the compound SF₆ by promoting an electron to a vacant d-orbital, allowing it to hybridize and form six equivalent bonds with fluorine atoms.