How to draw F2 Lewis Structure - Science Education and Tutorials

The fluorine gas chemical formula is F2. Drawing F2 Lewis Structure is very easy to by using the following method. Here in this post, we described step by step method to construct F2 Lewis Structure. The diatomic fluorine molecule elements come as members of the halogen family group from the periodic table. The valence electrons in the fluorine atom are seven. Fluorine gas is used to make chemical corrosive reagents for organic chemical reactions as a fluorinating agent in organic chemistry. It is used as a disinfectant.

Table of Contents

Key Points To Consider When Drawing The F2 Electron Dot Structure

A three-step approach for drawing the F2 Lewis structure can be used. The first step is to sketch the Lewis structure of the F2 molecule, to add valence electrons around the two fluorine atoms, and the final step is to combine the two fluorine diatomic atoms to get the F2 Lewis Structure.

The F2 Lewis structure is a diagram that illustrates the number of valence electrons and bond electron pairs in the F2 molecule. The geometry of the F2 molecule can then be predicted using the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion Theory (VSEPR Theory), which states that molecules will choose the F2 geometrical shape in which the electrons have from one another.

Finally, you must add their bond polarities to compute the strength of the one F-F single bonds (dipole moment properties of the F2 molecule). The fluorine-fluorine bonds in fluorine molecule(F2), for example, are polarised equally the more electronegative fluorine in F2 molecule, and because both bonds have the same size and are located around one fluorine terminal of the two tetrahedral or linear structure with three lone pairs (in total six electrons) on the fluorine atoms, their sum of dipole moment is zero due to the F2 molecule’s bond dipole moment and two fluorine atoms canceled the polarity. Because F-F bonds polarity is canceled in the F2 molecule due to the presence of two equal sharing in the linear geometry. The fluorine(F2) molecule is classified as a nonpolar molecule.

The molecule of diatomic fluorine(with tetrahedral or linear-shaped molecular geometry) is tilted, the bond angles between fluorine and fluorine are 180 degrees. It has no difference in electronegativity values between fluorine and other fluorine atoms, with both fluorine’s pull being equal in the F2 molecule. But they canceled each other due to the symmetrical linear structure with three lone pairs in the molecular geometry of the F2 molecule.

As a result, it has the zero dipole moment. The F2 molecule has a zero dipole moment due to an equal charge distribution of negative charges on both fluorine terminals. But both fluorine atoms fall on the halogen family groups in the periodic table. The fluorine atom is a more electronegative value than iodine atom in the halogen family group. The F2 molecule has the net dipole moment of 0D value in the ground state energy level.

F2 molecule has one F-F single bond. Its dipole moment in the ground state is totally different as compared with the excited state. If it absorbs light may be from visible or UV light. It undergoes pi to pi star and n to pi star transition from ground state energy level to excited state energy level. In the excited state energy level, the F2 molecule shows a definite dipole moment. But it is very dynamic in nature.

Molecules can be classified as polar or nonpolar. The molecule polar behaves in a different manner as compared to nonpolar.

Overview: F2 Lewis Structure

The terminal atom is fluorine, which is bordered on two terminals with fluorine atoms( in tetrahedral or linear geometry), and three lone pairs on the two fluorine atoms in the tetrahedral or linear molecular geometry. Fluorine has seven outermost valence electrons, indicating that it possesses seven electrons in its outermost shell. To complete the octet of the two fluorine atoms requires one valence electron on each of their outermost shell.

One fluorine atom establishes covalent connections with the other terminal fluorine atom as a result, leaving each fluorine atom with three lone pairs. There are three lone pairs of electrons on the fluorine terminal atom that resists the bond pairs of the F-F bond. According to VSEPR theory, the F-F bond pairs polarity lead the F2 molecule to take on the linear or tetrahedral geometry structure.

The F2 molecule’s one F-F bond is arranged in symmetrical polarity order around the linear or tetrahedral molecular geometry, giving rise to the F2 molecular shape. The bond order of the F2 molecule is one. The F2 molecule has a tetrahedral or linear molecular geometry because there is an electrical repulsion between the lone pairs of electrons in fluorine and one single bond pair(F-F) of the F2 molecule.

Lewis structure of F2 has dot electron representative structure. Valence electrons of atoms undergo orbitals mixing in the chemical reactions, giving new types of molecular species of F2. The molecule is nothing but a bundle of valence electrons from the atoms. But it is converted to bond pairs and lone pairs in the molecular structure.

Electronegative value Difference Calculation of F2 Molecule:

Fluorine and fluorine Electronegative difference in F2 molecule:

The fluorine atom has an electronegativity of 3.98 in the F2 molecule. The difference in electronegativity of fluorine and fluorine can be estimated using the method below.

The electronegative value difference between fluorine and fluorine in F2 molecule
Electronegativity value of fluorine= 3.98
Electronegativity value of fluorine= 3.98
Difference of electronegativity value between fluorine and fluorine in F2 molecule = 3.98 – 3.98 = 0.00
Electronegativity difference between F-F bond calculation of F2 molecule

The electronegative difference between fluorine and fluorine is less than 0.5. This indicated the bond polarity moves near to nonpolar nature. F-F bond polarity in the F2 molecule is nonpolar.

Because of this difference in electronegativity of fluorine and fluorine atoms, the F2 molecule’s F-F bond becomes nonpolar. The total net dipole moment of the F2 molecule is zero due to the cancellation of the bond dipole moment in the linear or tetrahedral geometry due to the presence of three lone pairs of electrons. The electronegativity of an atom is the strength with which it may attract bound electron pairs to its side. The polarity and Lewis structure of HF are discussed in our previous post.

As a result, the F-F bond’s dipole moment is higher due to the polarization of the bonds and three lone pairs of electrons on fluorine, and all F-F bonds’ dipoles are arranged in the symmetrical F2 molecular geometry. The F2 molecule has a zero net dipole moment.

The electron dot structure of the F2 molecule is also known as the F2 Lewis structure. It determines the number of outermost valence electrons as well as the electrons engaged in the F2 molecule’s bond formation. The outermost valence electrons of the F2 molecule must be understood while constructing the Lewis structure of the molecule.

The fluorine atom is the terminal element in F2 molecular geometry, with seven electrons in its outermost valence electron shell.

The F2 has a total of 14 valence electrons as a result of the foregoing above-said reasoning. With the terminal fluorine atom, the other terminal with one fluorine atom forms covalent bond, leaving the fluorine atom with three lone pairs(12 electron total) in the middle of linear or tetrahedral geometry.

Because three lone pairs on the terminal fluorine atoms create interaction with F-F bond pairs(but it is negligible in the ground state of the F2 molecule). The bond angle of the F-F bond in the linear or tetrahedral molecular geometry is approximately 180 degrees. This angle is greater than the CH4 molecule bond angle. The F-F bond length is shorter than the Cl-Cl bond length.

To sketch the F2 Lewis structure by following these instructions:

Step-1: F2 Lewis dot Structure by counting valence electrons on the fluorine atom

To calculate the valence electron of each atom in F2, look for its periodic group from the periodic table. The halogen group families, which is the 17th in the periodic table, are made up of two fluorine atoms. In their outermost shells, fluorine and fluorine have seven and seven valence electrons respectively.

Calculate the total number of valence electrons in the F2 molecule’s outermost valence shell. The first step is to determine how many electrons are in the F2 Lewis structure’s outermost valence shell. An electron in an atom’s outermost shell is known as a valence electron. It is represented by dots in the F2 Lewis diagram. The F2 molecule’s core fluorine atom can be represented as follows:

Total outermost valence shell electron of fluorine atom in F2= 7
Total outermost valence shell electron of fluorine atom in F2= 7
The F2 molecule has one terminal fluorine and other terminal fluorine atoms. Then the total outermost valence shell electrons can be calculated as follows
∴ Total outermost valence shell electrons available for F2 Lewis structure( dot structure) = 7+7= 14 valence electrons in F2.
calculation of total valence electron of F2 molecule

Choose the atom with the least electronegative value atom and insert it in both terminals of the molecular geometry of F2. We’ll choose the least electronegative value atom in the F2 molecule to place in the terminal of the F2 Lewis structure diagram in this phase.

The first step is to put seven valence electrons around the fluorine atom as given in the figure.

Step-2: Lewis dot Structure for F2 generated from step-1

Connect the two terminal atoms of the F2 molecule with one single F-F bond. In this stage, use one fluorine atom on the outside of the F2 molecule to the other terminal fluorine atom in the molecular geometry.

Count how many electrons from the outermost valence shell have been used in the F2 structure so far. F-F single bond carries two electrons because the fluorine atom is connected to another fluorine atom by F-F single bonds. Bond pairings of F-F are what they’re called.

So, out of the total of 14 valence electrons available for the F2 Lewis structure, we used four electrons for the F2 molecule’s one F-F single bond. The F2 molecule has three lone pairs of electrons in the two-terminal fluorine atoms.

Place the valence electrons in the F-F bond pair starting with the one terminal fluorine, another fluorine atom in the F2 molecule. In the F2 Lewis structure diagram, we always begin by introducing valence electrons from the terminal fluorine atom(in step1). As a result, wrap around the terminal fluorine atom’s bond pair valence electrons first (see figure for step1).

The fluorine atom in the molecule gets only 14 electrons around its molecular structure. This central fluorine atom is octet stable. But it has three lone pairs. Fluorine (F2) is a colorless gas. Fluorine is very corrosive in nature. It is one of the very reactive chemical reagents.

Fluorine requires 8 electrons in its outermost valence shell to complete the molecular octet stability, two electrons bond pairs in one F-F single bond, and three lone pairs in the terminal fluorine atom. Fluorine already shares 8 electrons to the one F-F single bonds.

We’ve positioned 8 electrons around the one-terminal fluorine atoms(step-1), which is represented by a dot, in the F2 molecular structure above. The fluorine atom completes its molecular octet stability in the F2 molecule because it possesses 2 electrons in its (one F-F single bonds) bond pairs with one fluorine in the outermost valence shell.

Count how many outermost valence shell electrons have been used so far using the F2 Lewis structure. One electron bond pairs are shown as dots in the F2 chemical structure, whereas one single bond contains two electrons. The outermost valence shell electrons of the F2 molecule(bond pairs) are 2 as a result of the calculation. The total valence electron in a fluorine atom is 8.

So far, we’ve used 8 of the F2 Lewis structure’s total 14 outermost valence shell electrons. Three lone pairs of electrons on each fluorine atoms in the linear or tetrahedral geometry of the F2 molecule.

Complete the terminal F2 atom stability and, if necessary, apply a covalent bond. The terminal fluorine atom undergoes octet stability(due to one single bond pair of electrons).

The core atom in the F2 Lewis structure is fluorine, which is bonded to the one terminal fluorine atom by single bonds (one F-F). With the help of one single bond, it already shares 8 electrons. As a result, the fluorine follows the octet rule and has 8 electrons surrounding it on the one terminal of the F2 molecule’s linear or tetrahedral geometry.

How to calculate the formal charge on fluorine and other fluorine atoms in F2 Lewis Structure?

Calculating formal charge on the fluorine of F2 molecule:

The formal charge on the F2 molecule’s fluorine central atom often corresponds to the actual charge on that fluorine terminal atom. In the following computation, the formal charge will be calculated on the terminal fluorine atom of the F2 Lewis dot structure.

To calculate the formal charge on the terminal fluorine atom of the F2 molecule by using the following formula:
The formal charge on the fluorine atom of F2 molecule= (V. E(F)– L.E(F) – 1/2(B.E))
V.E (F) = Valence electron in a fluorine atom of F2 molecule
L.E(F) = Lone pairs of an electron in the fluorine atom of the F2 molecule.
B.E = Bond pair electron in F atom of F2 molecule
calculation of formal charge on fluorine atom in F2 molecule

The fluorine terminal atom (one single bond connected to one fluorine atom) of the F2 molecule has seven valence electrons, three lone pairs of electrons(six electrons), and 2 bonding pairing valence electrons. Put these values for the fluorine atom in the formula above.

Formal charge on fluorine atom of F2 molecule = (7- 6-(2/2)) =0

In the Lewis structure of F2, the formal charge on the terminal fluorine atom is zero.

Summary:

In this post, we discussed the method to construct the F2 Lewis structure. First, the valence electrons are placed around the two fluorine atoms. Finally, when we combined the first and second steps. It gives F2 Lewis structure. Need to remember that, if you follow the above-said method, you can construct molecular dot structure very easily.