Question

What word or two-word phrase best describes the shape of the fluoroform molecule?

Answer 1

Answer : The shape of the fluoroform molecule is Tetrahedral.

Explanation :

First we have to calculate the Hybridization of the molecule by formula,

$\text{Number of electrons} = \frac{1}{2}[V+H-C+A]$

where,

V = Number of valence shell electron in central atom

H = Number of neighboring monovalent atom

C = charge of cation

A = charge of anion

The central atom in this molecule is Carbon, it has 4 electrons in their valence shell.

The neighboring monovalent atoms are one Hydrogen atom and three Fluorine atom.

There is no charge of cation and anion on the given molecule.

V = 4

H = 1 Hydrogen atom + 3 fluorine atom = 4

C = 0

A = 0

By the above hybridization formula, we get

$\text{Number of electrons}= \frac{1}{2}[4+4-0+0]$ = 4

The number of electron pair = 4

The number of lone pair = 0

The number of electrons is 4, this means that the hybridization is $sp^{3}$ and the geometry of the molecule is Tetrahedral.

The geometry of the molecule is shown below.