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Question

The noble gases have closed-shell electronic configuration and are monoatomic gases used normal conditions. The low boiling points of the lighter noble gases are due to weak dispersion forces between the atoms and the absence of other interatomic interactions.

The direct reaction of xenon with fluorine leads to a series of compounds with oxidation number +2, +4 and +6. XeF4 reacts violently with water to give XeO3. The compounds of xenon exhibit rich stereochemistry and their geometries can be deduced considering the total number of electron pairs in the valence shell.

XeF4 and XeF6 are expected to be

A
oxidising
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B
reducing
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C
unreactive
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D
strongly basic
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Solution

The correct option is A oxidising
The answer to this is in the passage itselt!
Remember the definition of reduction? Removal of a more electronegative element! This is the same thing that happens when oxygen is removed. Usually, oxygen is the most electronegative element in the compound. Here, we have F in the compound that gets removed. F is clearly more electronegative than O.

If we use that definition, since both the compounds lose F and gain O to form XeO3 it is clear that they are both being reduced. Hence, both XeF4 and XeF6 are strong oxidising agents.

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