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Xenon tetrafluoride (XeF₄) Lewis structure

36 valence electrons, square planar

Xe F F F F
XeF₄ as the Lewis Structure Generator draws it: lone pairs as dots.

Build XeF₄ step by step in the Lewis Structure Generator

What is the Lewis structure of XeF₄?

Xenon tetrafluoride, XeF₄, has 36 valence electrons. Xenon is the central atom, joined by four Xe−F single bonds. It carries two lone pairs on the central Xe and three on each F. Every formal charge is zero. Xe is AX₄E₂: square planar, with ideal bond angles of 90° and 180°, and the molecule is nonpolar.

Valence electrons in XeF₄

Element Group Valence electrons Atoms Electrons
Xenon 18 8 1 8
Fluorine 17 7 4 28
Total 36

In one line: 8 + 4 × 7 = 36. Each atom brings the valence electrons its group gives it.

How to draw the XeF₄ Lewis structure

  1. Count the valence electrons. Valence electrons: Xe 8 and each F 7. 8 + 4 × 7 = 36.
  2. Choose the central atom. Xe goes in the middle: Xe is the least electronegative atom other than H, χ 2.60 against 3.98 for F.
  3. Join the atoms with single bonds. Four single bonds use 8 electrons, leaving 36 − 8 = 28.
  4. Complete the outer atoms. Each outer atom takes enough lone pairs to reach eight: 4 F × 6 = 24, leaving 28 − 24 = 4.
  5. Put the rest on the central atom. The 4 left go on the central atom as two lone pairs on Xe, and Xe now has 12 electrons round it. That is more than eight, which an atom from period 3 on can hold.
  6. Make multiple bonds where needed. Every atom already has an octet or more, so no lone pair needs to become a bond.

Lone pairs and formal charges in XeF₄

Atom Number Bonds Lone pairs Electrons round it Formal charge, V − N − B/2
Xe (central) 1 four single bonds 2 12 8 − 4 − 4 = 0
F 4 one single bond 3 8 7 − 6 − 1 = 0

V is the atom’s valence electrons, N its nonbonding electrons and B its bonding electrons. The formal charges add up to 0, the molecule’s overall charge.

Shape and polarity of XeF₄

Central atom Xe
VSEPR class AX₄E₂
Electron geometry octahedral
Molecular geometry square planar
Ideal bond angles 90° and 180°
Measured bond angle 90°
Polarity, an estimate nonpolar

In a square planar shape identical bonds cancel exactly.

Xe has four σ bonds and two lone pairs, six electron domains in all, so its electron geometry is octahedral. Counting only the bonded atoms, the molecular geometry is square planar.

The VSEPR Molecular Geometry viewer turns the AX₄E₂ shape in 3D, lone pairs included.

The measured angle is the accepted experimental value the VSEPR viewer quotes for this molecule.

Work with XeF₄