MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 175 / 175
Is XeF4 polar or nonpolar?
XeF4 is a nonpolar molecule because its square planar geometry causes all four polar Xe–F bond dipoles to cancel in pairs.
Xenon Tetrafluoride · square planar
The molecule in space
Drag to turn the molecule. Show angles to read the model geometry.
01 / MODEL RECORDIllustrative geometry. Atom sizes and bond thickness are illustrative.How model data is used ↗
Why XeF4 is nonpolar
Xenon tetrafluoride has a square planar shape with two lone pairs on xenon positioned symmetrically above and below the plane. The four fluorine atoms are arranged at equal 90° intervals, so all Xe–F dipoles cancel pairwise.
What to notice
Two lone pairs occupy opposite positions on xenon, leaving four fluorines in a square plane. Opposing Xe–F bond dipoles cancel in pairs.
Common questions about XeF4
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of XeF4 show?
Xe forms four single Xe–F bonds and keeps two lone pairs. The lone pairs occupy opposite positions, leaving the four F atoms in one plane.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of XeF4?
XeF4 has a square planar molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 180° and 90°. These are angles in the illustrative model, not experimental measurements.
- 03
What is the molar mass of XeF4?
XeF4 has an approximate molar mass of 207.28 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.