1. Lewis Structure:
* Nitrogen (N): 5 valence electrons
* Fluorine (F): 7 valence electrons each
Total valence electrons: 5 + (3 * 7) = 26
* Place the nitrogen atom in the center, as it's less electronegative than fluorine.
* Surround nitrogen with three fluorine atoms.
* Complete the octet for each fluorine atom using single bonds and lone pairs.
* Nitrogen will have one lone pair.
2. Molecular Geometry:
* The central nitrogen atom has three bonding pairs and one lone pair.
* This corresponds to a tetrahedral electron geometry (four electron groups).
* Due to the lone pair, the molecular geometry is trigonal pyramidal.
3. Conclusion:
The central nitrogen atom in NF₃ has four electron groups, including three bonding pairs (molecules) and one lone pair.
