In `IF_3`. Hybrid state of iodine is `sp^3 d`. There are two lone pair and three bondpairs of electron. Lone pair electorn is positioned on :

Options

A. Axial position only
B. Equatorial position only
C. One is axial and other is equatorial
D. One is axial and other is on two equatorial positions

Answer

To determine the position of lone pair electrons in the molecule IF3 (iodine trifluoride), we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Determine the Hybridization of Iodine
- Iodine (I) is in group 17 of the periodic table and has 7 valence electrons.
- In IF3, iodine is bonded to three fluorine atoms. Therefore, it will use some of its valence electrons to form bonds with fluorine.

### Step 2: Calculate the Steric Number
- The steric number is calculated by adding the number of bonded atoms and the number of lone pairs on the central atom.
- In IF3, iodine has 3 bond pairs (from the three I-F bonds) and 2 lone pairs.
- Steric number = Number of bond pairs + Number of lone pairs = 3 + 2 = 5.

### Step 3: Determine the Hybridization
- A steric number of 5 corresponds to an sp³d hybridization.
- This means that the iodine atom undergoes hybridization to accommodate the bonding and lone pairs.

### Step 4: Determine the Geometry and Shape
- The geometry of a molecule with an sp³d hybridization and a steric number of 5 is trigonal bipyramidal.
- However, the presence of lone pairs affects the shape. With 2 lone pairs, the shape becomes T-shaped.

### Step 5: Position of Lone Pairs
- In a trigonal bipyramidal geometry, there are two types of positions: axial and equatorial.
- The equatorial positions are at 120° to each other, while the axial positions are at 180° to each other.
- Lone pairs are positioned in the equatorial positions to minimize repulsion because they occupy more space than bonding pairs.

### Conclusion
- Therefore, in IF3, the lone pair electrons are positioned in the equatorial positions of the trigonal bipyramidal arrangement.

### Final Answer
The lone pair electrons in IF3 are positioned in the equatorial positions.

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