Question

the lewis structure for sncl3 - is shown. what is the electron - pair geometry around the central atom? electron pair geometry: submit show approach show tutor steps

Explanation:

Step1: Determine the central atom's electron groups

The central atom is Sn in \( \text{SnCl}_3^- \). From the Lewis structure, Sn is bonded to 3 Cl atoms (3 bonding pairs) and has 1 lone pair (since the ion has a -1 charge, and Sn's valence electrons plus the extra electron give a total of 4 electron groups: 3 bonding, 1 lone).

Step2: Identify electron - pair geometry

Electron - pair geometry is determined by the total number of electron groups (bonding + lone pairs) around the central atom. For 4 electron groups (3 bonding, 1 lone), the electron - pair geometry is tetrahedral. The formula for determining electron - pair geometry is based on the VSEPR (Valence - Shell Electron - Pair Repulsion) theory, where the number of electron groups ( \( n \)) determines the geometry: \( n = 2 \) (linear), \( n=3 \) (trigonal planar), \( n = 4 \) (tetrahedral), etc. Here \( n=4 \).

Answer:

Tetrahedral