A) trigonal pyramidal, nonpolar
B) trigonal planar, polar
C) trigonal pyramidal, polar
D) tetrahedral, unipolar
E) trigonal planar, nonpolar
1 Answer
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PF3 has 4 electron domains with 3 bonding pairs and one non-bonding pair. It therefore cannot be a tetrahedral shape, nor a trigonal planar (only for 3 bonding domains with no lone pairs of electrons). So we duduce it has a molecular geometry of trigonal pyramidal.
Now, the electronegativity of F is far higher than that of P which leads to the molecule being polar.
Therefore, C) is true.
