Sulphur in `SF_6` undergoes ____ hybridisations.

Answer

To determine the hybridization of sulfur in SF₆ (sulfur hexafluoride), we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Determine the Valence Electrons
- Sulfur (S) has an atomic number of 16, and its electron configuration is [Ne] 3s² 3p⁴.
- This means sulfur has 6 valence electrons (2 from 3s and 4 from 3p).

### Step 2: Understand the Bonding Requirements
- SF₆ consists of one sulfur atom bonded to six fluorine atoms.
- Each fluorine atom (F) has 7 valence electrons (1s² 2s² 2p⁵) and needs 1 more electron to complete its octet.

### Step 3: Excitation of Electrons
- To form bonds with six fluorine atoms, sulfur needs to use its valence electrons effectively.
- Sulfur can promote its electrons from the 3s and 3p orbitals to the empty 3d orbitals. This allows sulfur to have six unpaired electrons available for bonding.

### Step 4: Determine the Hybridization
- The hybridization can be determined by counting the number of effective pairs of electrons involved in bonding.
- In SF₆, sulfur forms six sigma bonds with the six fluorine atoms.
- The hybridization that accommodates six bonds is **sp³d²** (1 s orbital, 3 p orbitals, and 2 d orbitals).

### Step 5: Conclusion
- Therefore, the hybridization of sulfur in SF₆ is **sp³d²**.

### Final Answer
Sulfur in SF₆ undergoes **sp³d² hybridization**.

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