In BrF5 (bromine pentafluoride), the central bromine atom is surrounded by five fluorine atoms. Additionally, bromine has three lone pairs of electrons. To determine the number of electron groups around the central bromine atom, we need to consider both the bonded atoms and the lone pairs of electrons.
Each bond to a fluorine atom counts as one electron group, and each lone pair also counts as one electron group. Here’s the breakdown:
- 5 bonded fluorine atoms = 5 electron groups
- 3 lone pairs of electrons = 3 electron groups
Adding these together, we find:
Total electron groups = 5 (bonded) + 3 (lone pairs) = 8
Therefore, the central bromine atom in BrF5 has a total of 8 electron groups.