Q.How is XeO3 obtained starting from XeF6? Describe its structure.
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In 1962, Neil Bartlett had shown that platinum hexafluoride, PtF6, is a powerful enough oxidiser to remove an electron from molecular oxygen, forming O2+PtF6−; noting that xenon's first ionisation enthalpy (1170 kJ/mol) is very close to that of O2 (1175 kJ/mol), he reasoned that PtF6 should be able to oxidise xenon as well, and on carrying out the reaction he obtained the first noble-gas compound, Xe+PtF6−. Xenon, the most reactive noble gas because of its comparatively low ionisation enthalpy and large, polarisable electron cloud, combines directly with fluorine under different conditions of temperature, pressure and reactant ratio to give three fluorides: Xe+F2→XeF2 (excess xenon, about 673 K), Xe+2F2→XeF4 (1:5 Xe:F2 ratio, about 673 K and 7 atm), and Xe+3F2→XeF6 (1:20 ratio, high pressure, or alternatively from XeF4 reacting with O2F2). Controlled hydrolysis of these fluorides gives xenon's oxygen compounds: complete hydrolysis of XeF6 gives XeO3, XeF6+3H2O→XeO3+6HF, while partial hydrolysis gives the oxyfluorides, XeF6+H2O→XeOF4+2HF and XeF6+2H2O→XeO2F2+4HF; despite involving water, these are simple ligand-exchange (substitution) reactions rather than redox reacti …
[!TLDR] Complete hydrolysis of XeF6 with water gives XeO3, which is pyramidal (sp3 Xe, one lone pair), like NH3 but with Xe=O bonds, and dangerously explosive. [!ANSWER] $\text{XeF}6 + 3\text{H} …
Careful, complete hydrolysis of XeF6 with water gives xenon trioxide: XeF6+3H2O→XeO3+6HF XeO3 is a dangerously explosive solid. Structurally, its molecule is pyramidal: xenon is sp3 hybridised with one lone pair, directly analogous in shape to NH3 or PH3, but with three Xe-O (formally Xe=O, or resonance-delocalised) bonds occupying the positions that hydrogen atoms occupy in ammonia's structure, rather than three Xe-H bonds. [!ANSWER] $\text{XeO}_3 …
Write the balanced hydrolysis equation from XeF6 to XeO3, then describe the pyramidal shape by direct analo …
Writing an unbalanced hydrolysis equation (6 HF must balance the 6 fluorines of XeF6); describing XeO3 as planar rather than pyram …
- CBSE 2026Set SEM31 markMCQQ.Which of the following has zero dipole moment?(a) XeF6(b) XeO3(c) XeF4(d) XeOF2
›Reveal solutionSolution
XeF4 is square planar (sp3d2, two lone pairs axial); its symmetric shape cancels all bond dipoles, so its dipole moment is zero. Correct option (c).
Shapes and symmetry:
- XeF4: sp3d2, six electron pairs (4 bond + 2 lone), lone pairs occupy opposite axial positions, leaving a square planar arrangement of four Xe-F bonds. The dipoles cancel in pairs -> net dipole = 0.
- XeO3: pyramidal (one lone pair) -> polar, non-zero dipole. …
- CBSE 2026Set SEM31 markMCQQ.Which of the following statements is not correct about XeF6?(a) Oxidation number of Xe is +6(b) The hybridization of Xe in XeF6 is sp3d3(c) The shape of XeF6 molecule is distorted octahedral(d) On hydrolysis XeF6 gives only Xe, HF and O2
›Reveal solutionSolution
Statements (a), (b), (c) about XeF6 are correct; statement (d) is wrong because hydrolysis of XeF6 gives oxyfluorides/XeO3 and HF, not Xe + HF + O2. Correct answer (the not-correct statement) = (d).
Checking each:
- (a) Oxidation number of Xe in XeF6 is +6 (6 F, each -1). Correct.
- (b) Xe has 7 electron pairs (6 bond + 1 lone), so hybridisation is sp3d3. Correct.
- (c) The lone pair distorts the octahedron, giving a distorted (capped) octahedral shape. Correct. …
- CBSE 2024Set D1 markMCQQ.The structure of XeF4 is(a) Tetrahedral(b) Octahedral(c) Square planar(d) None of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
Xe in XeF4 has 6 electron domains (4 bonding + 2 lone pairs), sp3d2 hybridised. The two lone pairs occupy axial positions, leaving the four F atoms in a square plane.
Count electron pairs on Xe in XeF4:
- Xe has 8 valence electrons; 4 are used to bond 4 F atoms, leaving 2 lone pairs.
- Total domains = 4 bond pairs + 2 lone pairs = 6 -> sp3d2 hybridisation -> octahedral electron geometry. …
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Explain the structure of XeO3.
›Reveal solutionSolution
XeO3's geometry follows from Xe being sp³ hybridised with one lone pair occupying the fourth position — the same electron arrangement as NH3, giving a pyramidal shape.
Xenon trioxide, XeO3, has Xenon in the +6 oxidation state (formed by careful hydrolysis of XeF6). Around the central Xe atom there are 3 Xe=O bond pairs plus 1 lone pair, giving 4 electron domains total → sp³ hybridisation. Since one of the four sp³ positions is occupied by a lone pair (rather than a bonded atom), the molecular shape (ignoring the lone pair) is pyramidal (trigonal pyramidal), analogous to the shape of NH3 — with Xe at the apex, above th …
- CBSE 2023Set F1 markMCQQ.By which of the following noble gases the maximum number of compounds have been formed?(a) He(b) Ne(c) Ar(d) Xe
›Reveal solutionSolution
Xenon forms the largest number of compounds among the noble gases — option (D).
Noble gases are largely inert, but reactivity increases down the group as ionisation enthalpy falls (the outer electrons become easier to involve in bonding). Xenon, having a relatively low ionisation enthalpy and large size, readily reacts with the most electronegative elements (fluorine and oxygen) to form many compounds such as XeF2, XeF4, XeF6, XeO3 and XeOF4. Krypton forms only a few (e.g. …
- CBSE 2021Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The structure of XeF4 is –(a) Square planar(b) Octahedral(c) T-shaped(d) Tetrahedral
›Reveal solutionSolution
XeF4 has sp3d2 hybridisation with 2 lone pairs on Xe, giving an octahedral electron geometry but a square planar molecular shape.
Xenon in XeF4 has 8 valence electrons; 4 are used to form 4 Xe–F bonds, leaving 2 lone pairs. This gives 6 electron domains around Xe (4 bond pairs + 2 lone pairs), so the hybridisation is sp3d2 and the parent electronic geometry is octahedral. The two lone pairs occupy positions opposite each other (axial) to …
- CBSE 2017Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Give the geometry of XeO3.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Xe in XeO3 has 3 bond pairs and 1 lone pair (sp3 hybridisation), giving a pyramidal molecular shape (tetrahedral electron geometry).
In XeO3, the central xenon atom is bonded to three oxygen atoms (via three Xe=O bonds) and also carries one lone pair of electrons. This gives xenon a steric number of 4 (3 bond pairs + 1 lone pair), corresponding to sp3 hybridisation and a tetrahedral electron-pair geometry.
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