Whis is not a characteristic of Sulfur tetrafluoride

Central sulphur atom is bonded to four fluorine atoms

Five hybrid orbitals are formed

Hybridization of SF4: Hybridization of S in Sulfur Tetrafluoride

The hybridization that is involved in SF₄ is sp³d type. Here will learn and understand how to determine SF₄ hybridization. We will discuss the steps in detail.

Name of the Molecule	Sulphur Tetrafluoride
Molecular Formula	SF₄
Hybridization Type	sp³d
Bond Angle	102^o and 173^o
Geometry	see-saw

What is the Hybridization of Sulphur Tetrafluoride?

In order to determine the hybridization of sulphur tetrafluoride, you have to first understand its Lewis structure and the number of valence electrons that are present. The SF₄ molecule consists of a total of 34 valence electrons. Here 6 will come from sulphur and each of the four fluorine atoms will have 7 electrons.

Hybridization Of SF4

During the formation of SF4, the sulphur atom will form bonds with each of fluorine atoms where 8 of valence electrons are used. Meanwhile, the four fluorine atoms will have 3 lone pairs of electrons in its octet which will further utilize 24 valence electrons. In addition, two electrons will be kept as lone pair in the sulphur atom. Now we can determine sulphur’s hybridization by taking a count of the number of regions of electron density. When bonding takes place there is a formation of 4 single bonds in sulphur and it has 1 lone pair. Looking at this, we can say that the number of regions of electron density is 5.

The middle S atom containing the 5 valence atomic orbitals is basically hybridized to form five sp³d hybrid orbitals. In 2P-orbitals, four hybrid orbitals are overlapped and the fifth one contains a lone pair. Knowing the steric number will also help in determining the count of hybrid orbitals used by the atom. Sulphur will use five orbitals including one 3s-orbital, three 3p-orbitals and one 3d-orbital.

Important Points To Remember

The central sulphur atom has one lone pair and is bonded to four fluorine atoms.
There are five hybrid orbitals formed.
One 3s-orbital, three 3p-orbitals and one 3d-orbital participate in hybridization.

SF4 Molecular Geometry And Bond Angles

SF4 molecular geometry is see-saw with one pair of valence electrons. The nature of the molecule is polar. These atoms form a trigonal bipyramidal shape. The equatorial fluorine atoms have 102° bond angles instead of the actual 120^o angle. The axial fluorine atom angle is 173° instead of the actual 180^o bond angle.

Chemical Bonding

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

What is hybridization?

Hybridization is the process of mixing atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals. The hybrid orbitals are more stable and lower in energy than the individual atomic orbitals.

What is the hybridization of SF₄?

The hybridization of SF₄ is sp³d.

What is the shape of the SeF₄ molecule?

The SeF₄ molecule has a see-saw shape.

How many hybrid orbitals are formed during hybridization?

The number of hybrid orbitals formed equals the number of atomic orbitals involved during hybridization. For example, mixing two atomic orbitals gives rise to two hybrid orbitals- the bonding orbital and antibonding orbitals.

Does hybridization occur between atomic orbitals of unequal energy?

No, hybridization occurs between atomic orbitals of equal energies.

Hybridization of SF4 (Sulfur Tetrafluoride)