How do you draw the Lewis structure of SF₄?

SF₄ has 34 valence electrons. Sulfur forms 4 single bonds to fluorine, using 8 electrons; 26 remain. Each F gets 3 lone pairs (24 electrons). 2 electrons remain and form 1 lone pair on S. Total on S: 10 electrons (expanded octet).

Lewis Structure of SF₄ (Sulfur Tetrafluoride)

What is the Lewis structure of SF₄?

SF₄ has 34 valence electrons, 4 bonding electron pairs, and 13 lone pairs. SF₄ has 34 valence electrons. Eight are in four S-F single bonds, 2 form a lone pair on sulfur, and 24 form 3 lone pairs on each fluorine. Sulfur has 10 electrons around it (expanded octet). The lone pair occupies an equatorial position, giving a see-saw (distorted tetrahedron) molecular geometry.

Lewis structure of SF₄ (Sulfur Tetrafluoride)

Formula	SF₄
Name	Sulfur Tetrafluoride
Total Valence Electrons	34
Lone Pairs	13
Has Resonance	No
Concept	Expanded Octet
Difficulty	Advanced

Step 1: Count Valence Electrons

S has 6, each F has 7: 6 + 4(7) = 34 total.

Step 2: Draw the Skeleton

Sulfur forms 4 single bonds to fluorine, using 8 electrons; 26 remain.

Step 3: Distribute Lone Pairs

Each F gets 3 lone pairs (24 electrons). 2 electrons remain and form 1 lone pair on S. Total on S: 10 electrons (expanded octet).

Step 4: Form Multiple Bonds

No multiple bonds. S has 4 bonds + 1 lone pair = 10 electrons. The expanded octet is possible because S is in Period 3.

Step 5: Check Formal Charges

S: FC = 6 - 2 - ½(8) = 0
F: FC = 7 - 6 - ½(2) = 0

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