2E.11

[Ziyan Wang 3J]

Why is the shape of IF4 - is square planar, instead of octahedral?

[805307623]

IF4 is square planar because I(the central atom) is bonded to only 4 outside atoms. Its lone pairs do not count when it comes to its shape. An octahedral shape would suggest that the central atom is bound to 6 outside atoms.

[Haley Chun 4H]

in IF4, the central atom only has 4 bonding regions (square planar). With an octahedral, the central atom has 6 bonding regions.

[Mallika Chimpiri 3K]

This is because although IF4- has 6 areas of electron density, you only look at bonded electrons when determining molecular shape. It has 4 bonds with 2 lone pairs, which gives it an octahedral electron arrangement but a square planar molecular geometry.

[Baoying Li 1B]

Because when you draw the Lewis Structure, there are two lone pairs on top of Iodine. These two lone pairs make the original structure(tetrahedral) bend to a square planar structure. The arrangement is octahedral. It doesn't mean that the structure is the same as well.