Questions about Highschool chemistry


Posted by RG on Feb 03, 2004 at 19:33
(198.81.26.103)

I'm sorry if I insult your adult intelligences, but I have trouble deciphering my AP chemistry book whenever I read this section, and my teacher lectures at the speed of light.

It's about the Lewis Dot Structures, and what follows it. The "3-D Geometry."

For example, H2O. H20 has 8 electrons, and would be drawn with an "O" surrounded by two "H's."

There are two bonds, each one connecting an "H" to the center "O." That's four electrons used up. The last four electrons are lone pairs on the "O."
~~~
That part I get, and I can perform. However, this other part I can't do.

XeF4. XeF4 has 8 + 4(7) = 36 electrons. I'm suppose to draw it "3-D."

So I do, with Xe in the middle, and the four Fs around like a compass. But, according to the instructions, after I put in the four bonds, there's 4 electrons left. How? SPD?

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