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Grade 12Physical Chemistry

The bond length of B-F in BF4(-) is longer than the bond length of B-F in BF3---------explain

Profile image of Ankur Saha
9 Years agoGrade 12
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3 Answers

Profile image of Adarsh poddar
9 Years ago
In BF3, the B-F "single bond" has some double bond character, not present in BF4-. If you write a conventional valence bond structure for BF3, with single B-F bonds, there are only six electrons on B and a vacant p-orbital at right angles to the plane of the molecule. So you can give B an octet by writing a formal negative charge on B, a formal positive charge on one of the F, and a double bond between B and that F. In molecular orbital terms, you can say that the appropriate p orbitals on F overlap this vacant orbital on B.
Profile image of Adarsh poddar
9 Years ago
In BF3, the B-F "single bond" has some double bond character, not present in BF4-. If you write a conventional valence bond structure for BF3, with single B-F bonds, there are only six electrons on B and a vacant p-orbital at right angles to the plane of the molecule. So you can give B an octet by writing a formal negative charge on B, a formal positive charge on one of the F, and a double bond between B and that F.
Profile image of Pratibha Kumari
7 Years ago
Bcz,in BF3 back bonding is present.if back bonding occur then bond order increases and bond lenght decreases.