How to draw XeCl4 Lewis Structure? - Science Education and Tutorials

The xenon tetrachloride chemical formula is XeCl4. Drawing XeCl4 Lewis Structure is very easy to by using the following method. Here in this post, we described step by step method to construct XeCl4 Lewis Structure. The xenon and chlorine elements come as the member of the noble gas and halogen family groups from the periodic table respectively. The valence electrons in xenon and chlorine are eight and seven respectively.

Table of Contents

Key Points To Consider When Drawing The XeCl4 Structure

A three-step approach for drawing the XeCl4 Lewis structure can be used. The first step is to sketch the Lewis structure of the XeCl4 molecule, to add valence electrons around the xenon atom; the second step is to add valence electrons to the four chlorine atoms, and the final step is to combine the step1 and step2 to get the XeCl4 Lewis Structure.

The XeCl4 Lewis structure is a diagram that illustrates the number of valence electrons and bond electron pairs in the XeCl4 molecule. The geometry of the XeCl4 molecule can then be predicted using the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion Theory (VSEPR Theory), which states that molecules will choose the XeCl4 geometrical shape in which the electrons have from one another.

Finally, you must add their bond polarities to compute the strength of the Xe-Cl bond (dipole moment properties of the XeCl4 molecule). The xenon-chlorine bonds in xenon tetrachloride(XeCl4), for example, are polarised toward the more electronegative chlorine, and because both bonds have the same size and located around four chlorine terminals of the square planar with two lone pairs of electrons just out of the plan, their sum is zero due to the XeCl4 molecule’s bond dipole moment and two lone pair of electron on the xenon atom. The xenon tetrachloride(XeCl4) molecule is classified as a nonpolar molecule.

The molecule of xenon tetrachloride (with square planar molecular geometry) is tilted, the bond angles between xenon and chlorine are 90 degrees. It has a difference in electronegativity values between xenon and chlorine atoms, with xenon’s pull being less than chlorine’s terminal in the XeCl4 molecule. But they canceled each other due to the symmetrical molecular geometry. As a result, it has the zero dipole moment. The XeCl4 molecule has a zero dipole moment due to an equal charge distribution of negative and positive charges. The net dipole moment of the XeCl4 molecule is 0 D.

Overview: XeCl4 Lewis Structure

The central atom is xenon, which is bordered on four terminals with four chlorine atoms( in square planar geometry), and two lone pairs of electrons on the xenon in the top and bottom of the square planar geometry. Xenon has eight outermost valence electrons, indicating that it possesses eight electrons in its outermost shell, whereas chlorine only has seven valence electrons in its outermost shell. To complete the octet of the chlorine atom, a chlorine terminal atom requires one valence electron. If you’re interested in learning more about the chlorine octet rule, please see in our previous post.

Four chlorine atoms establish covalent connections with the central xenon atom as a result, leaving the xenon atom with two lone pairs. There are two lone pairs of electrons on the xenon central atom that resist the bond pairs of the four Xe-Cl. According to VSEPR theory, no electronic repulsion of the lone pairs and bond pairs leads the XeCl4 molecule to take on a square planar molecular geometry shape.

The XeCl4 molecule’s Xe-Cl bonds are arranged in symmetrical order around the square planar molecular geometry, giving rise to the XeCl4 molecular shape. The XeCl4 molecule has a square planar molecular geometry because there is no electrical repulsion between two lone pairs and four bond pairs(Xe-Cl) of the XeCl4 molecule.

Electronegative Difference Calculation of XeCl4 Molecule:

The xenon atom has an electronegativity of 2.6, while chlorine has an electronegativity of 3.16 in the XeCl4 molecule. The difference in electronegativity can be estimated using the method below.

The electronegative value difference between xenon and chlorine
Electronegativity value of xenon = 2.6
Electronegativity value of chlorine= 3.16
Difference of electronegativity value between xenon and chlorine= 3.16 – 2.6 =0.66
Electronegativity difference between Xe-Cl bond calculation of XeCl4 molecule

Due to the difference in electronegativity value is slightly greater than 0.5, the Xe-Cl bond of the XeCl4 molecule becomes polar. Because of this difference in electronegativity, the XeCl4 molecule’s Xe-Cl bond becomes slightly polar. The total net dipole moment of the XeCl4 molecule is zero due to the cancellation of the bond dipole moment. The electronegativity of an atom is the strength with which it may attract bound electron pairs to its side. The polarity of XeF4 is discussed in our previous post.

As a result, the Xe-Cl bond’s dipole moment is high due to the polarization of the bonds and two lone pairs of electrons, and all Xe-Cl bonds’ dipoles are arranged in the symmetrical XeCl4 molecular geometry. The XeCl4 molecule’s total dipole moment is predicted to be 0 D. It has a partial negative charge for the terminal chlorine atoms and a partial positive charge for the central xenon atom.

The electron dot structure of the XeCl4 molecule is also known as the XeCl4 Lewis structure. It determines the number of outermost valence electrons as well as the electrons engaged in the XeCl4 molecule’s bond formation. The outermost valence electrons of the XeCl4 molecule must be understood while considering the Lewis structure of the molecule.

The xenon atom is the middle element in XeCl4 molecular geometry, with eight electrons in its outermost valence electron shell, whereas the chlorine atom has seven electrons in its outermost valence electron shell.

The XeCl4 molecule has a total of 36 valence electrons as a result of the foregoing above said reasoning. With the core central xenon atom, the four terminal with four chlorine atoms forms covalent bonds, leaving the xenon atom with two lone pairs of electrons on the top and bottom of square planar geometry.

Because two lone pairs of electrons on the central xenon atom create interaction with Xe-Cl bond pairs. The bond angle of the Cl-Xe-Cl bond in the square planar molecular geometry is approximately 90 degrees. This angle is less than the CH4 molecule bond angle due to the two lone pairs of electrons on the XeCl4 molecule. The XeCl4 bond length(Xe-Cl) is higher than XeF4 bond length (Xe-F).

To sketch the XeCl4 Lewis structure by following these instructions:

Step-1: XeCl4 Lewis dot Structure by counting valence electrons on the xenon atom

To calculate the valence electron of each atom in XeCl4, look for its periodic group from the periodic table. The halogen and noble gas families, which are the 17th and 18th groups in the periodic table, are both made up of chlorine and xenon atoms. In their outermost shells, chlorine and xenon have seven and eight valence electrons, respectively.

Because chlorine and xenon are members of the periodic table’s halogen and noble gas family groups, their valence electrons are seven and eight, respectively.

Calculate the total number of valence electrons in the XeCl4 molecule’s outermost valence shell. The first step is to determine how many electrons are in the XeCl4 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 XeCl4 Lewis diagram. The XeCl4 molecule’s core xenon atom can be represented as follows:

Total outermost valence shell electron of xenon atom in XeCl4= 8
Total outermost valence shell electron of the chlorine atom in XeCl4= 7
The XeCl4 molecule has one central xenon and four chlorine atoms. Then the total outermost valence shell electrons can be calculated as follows
∴ Total outermost valence shell electrons available for XeCl4 Lewis structure( dot structure) = 8+4*7= 36 valence electrons in XeCl4.
calculation of total valence electron of XeCl4 molecule

Choose the atom with the least electronegative value atom and insert it in the center of the molecular geometry of XeCl4. We’ll choose the least electronegative value atom in the XeCl4 molecule to place in the center of the XeCl4 Lewis structure diagram in this phase. The electronegativity value in periodic groups grows from left to right in the periodic table and drops from top to bottom.

Step-2: Lewis Structure of XeCl4 for counting valence electrons around the terminal chlorine atom

As a result, xenon is the first atom in the periodic table’s noble gas family group. Xenon is the fifth member of the noble gas family. The electronegative value of the xenon atom is lower than that of the chlorine atom in the XeCl4 molecule. Furthermore, xenon has an eight electrons limit since chlorine is the most electronegative element in the XeCl4 molecule.

In the XeCl4 Lewis structure diagram, the xenon atom can be the center atom of the molecule. As a result, central xenon in the XeCl4 Lewis structure, with all four chlorine arranged in the square planar geometry.

Add valence electrons around the chlorine atom, as given in the figure.

Step-3: Lewis dot Structure for XeCl4 generated from step-1 and step-2

Connect the exterior and core central atom of the XeCl4 molecule with three single bonds (Xe-Cl). In this stage, use four chlorine atoms on the outside of the XeCl4 molecule to the central xenon atom in the middle.

Count how many electrons from the outermost valence shell have been used in the XeCl4 structure so far. Each Xe-Cl bond carries two electrons because each xenon atom is connected to four chlorine atoms by four Xe-Cl bonds. Bond pairings of Xe-Cl are what they’re called.

So, out of the total of 36 valence electrons available for the XeCl4 Lewis structure, we used 8 for the XeCl4 molecule’s four Xe-Cl bonds. The XeCl4 molecule has two lone pairs of electrons in the central xenon atom. We need to put extra electrons in the molecular geometry of XeCl4. Where to place the extra electron in the XeCl4 molecule?

Place the valence electrons in the Xe-Cl bond pairs starting with the core xenon, four chlorine, and two lone pairs of electrons in the XeCl4 molecule. In the XeCl4 Lewis structure diagram, we always begin by introducing valence electrons from the central xenon atom(in step1). As a result, wrap around the central xenon atom’s bond pair valence electrons first (see figure for step1).

Xenon requires 8 electrons in its outermost valence shell to complete the molecular stability, 8 electrons bond pairs in Xe-Cl bonds. Then four electrons as a lone pair of electrons on the xenon atom of the XeCl4 molecule are placed in a square planar geometry. Xenon already shares 8 electrons to the four Xe-Cl bonds. Then place the valence electron in the chlorine atom, it placed around seven electrons(step-2). Totally, 28 valence electrons placed on the four chlorine atoms of the XeCl4 molecule.

We’ve positioned 8 electrons around the central xenon atom(step-3), which is represented by a dot, in the XeCl4 molecular structure above. The xenon atom completes its molecular stability in the XeCl4 molecule because it possesses 8 electrons in its (Xe-Cl) bond pairs with four chlorine in the outermost valence shell.

Count how many outermost valence shell electrons have been used so far using the XeCl4 Lewis structure. Four electron bond pairs are shown as dots in the XeCl4 chemical structure, whereas three single bonds each contain two electrons. The outermost valence shell electrons of the XeCl4 molecule are eight as a result of the calculation.

So far, we’ve used eight of the XeCl4 Lewis structure’s total 8 outermost valence shell electrons. Two lone pairs of electrons on the xenon atom in the square planar of the XeCl4 molecule.

Complete the middle xenon atom stability and, if necessary, apply a covalent bond. The central xenon atom undergoes extra octet stability. Because it has a total of 12 electrons in the outermost valence shell. Eight electrons come from bond pairs of Xe-Cl and two lone pairs of electrons on the xenon central atom of XeCl4.

The core atom in the XeCl4 Lewis structure is xenon, which is bonded to the four chlorine atoms by single bonds (Xe-Cl). With the help of four single bonds, it already shares eight electrons. As a result, xenon follows the extra octet rule and has 12 electrons (8 bond pairs+2 lone pairs) surrounding it on the four terminals of the XeCl4 molecule’s square planar geometry.

How to calculate the formal charge on a xenon atom in XeCl4 Lewis Structure?

The formal charge on the XeCl4 molecule’s xenon central atom often corresponds to the actual charge on that xenon central atom. In the following computation, the formal charge will be calculated on the central xenon atom of the XeCl4 Lewis dot structure.

To calculate the formal charge on the central xenon atom of the XeCl4 molecule by using the following formula:
The formal charge on the xenon atom of XeCl4 molecule= (V. E(Xe)– L.E(Xe) – 1/2(B.E))
V.E (Xe) = Valence electron in a xenon atom of XeCl4 molecule
L.E(Xe) = Lone pairs of an electron in the xenon atom of the XeCl4 molecule.
B.E = Bond pair electron in Xe atom of XeCl4 molecule
calculation of formal charge on xenon atom in XeCl4 molecule

The xenon core atom (four single bonds connected to four chlorine atoms ) of the XeCl4 molecule has eight valence electrons, two lone pairs of electrons(four electrons), and eight bonding electrons. Put these values for the xenon atom in the formula above.

Formal charge on xenon atom of XeCl4 molecule = (8- 4-(8/2)) =0

In the Lewis structure of XeCl4, the formal charge on the central xenon atom is zero.

Summary:

In this post, we discussed the method to construct the XeCl4 Lewis structure. Need to remember that, if you follow above said method, you can construct molecular dot structure very easily.