Question

what is the hybridization of the central atom in the chlorine trifluoride (clf₃) molecule?

Explanation:

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

Chlorine in $ClF_3$ has 3 bonding pairs (with 3 fluorine atoms) and 2 lone pairs. So the total number of electron - groups is 5.

Step2: Relate the number of electron - groups to hybridization

The number of hybrid orbitals is equal to the number of electron - groups around the central atom. When the number of electron - groups is 5, the hybridization is $sp^3d$.

Answer:

$sp^3d$