Which of the following molecular species in not linear?

Options

A. `(CN)_(2)`
B. `OCN^(-)`
C. `XeF_(2)`
D. `XeF_(4)`

Explanation

To determine which of the following molecular species is not linear, we need to analyze the molecular geometry of each compound. Here’s a step-by-step solution:

### Step 1: Identify the Molecular Species
The molecular species we need to analyze are:
1. CN2 (Cyanogen)
2. OCN (Cyanate)
3. XeF2 (Xenon Difluoride)
4. XeF4 (Xenon Tetrafluoride)

### Step 2: Analyze CN2
- **Lewis Structure**: Carbon (C) is bonded to two nitrogen (N) atoms.
- **Geometry**: The bond angle is 180 degrees, making CN2 a linear molecule.

### Step 3: Analyze OCN
- **Lewis Structure**: The structure consists of a carbon atom bonded to an oxygen atom and a nitrogen atom.
- **Geometry**: The bond angle is also 180 degrees, indicating that OCN is linear.

### Step 4: Analyze XeF2
- **Lewis Structure**: Xenon (Xe) is bonded to two fluorine (F) atoms and has three lone pairs of electrons.
- **Geometry**: The presence of three lone pairs leads to a linear arrangement of the two fluorine atoms, with a bond angle of 180 degrees.

### Step 5: Analyze XeF4
- **Lewis Structure**: Xenon (Xe) is bonded to four fluorine (F) atoms and has two lone pairs of electrons.
- **Geometry**: The arrangement of four bonded atoms and two lone pairs leads to a square planar geometry. The bond angles between the fluorine atoms are not 180 degrees, indicating that XeF4 is not linear.

### Conclusion
Among the given molecular species, **XeF4** is the one that is not linear.

### Final Answer
The molecular species that is not linear is **XeF4**.

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