Question

what is the hybridization of the central atom in the bromine pentafluoride (brf5) molecule?

Explanation:

Step1: Determine the number of electron - groups around the central atom

Bromine in $BrF_5$ has 5 bonding pairs (with 5 F atoms) and 1 lone pair. So, the total number of electron - groups is 6.

Step2: Relate the number of electron - groups to hybridization

The number of hybrid orbitals is equal to the number of electron - groups. When there are 6 electron - groups, the hybridization is $sp^3d^2$.

Answer:

$sp^3d^2$