Question

Complete the reaction $ Xe{F_4} + {O_2}{F_2} \to A + {O_2} $ identify A.

Answer 1

Hint :The unknown product of the reaction must be a compound of xenon with fluorine. For finding the number of xenon and fluorine atoms in that compound try to balance the reaction. The shape of the unknown product is distorted. The product is

Complete Step By Step Answer:
The reactants in this reaction are xenon tetrafluoride and fluorine dioxide. The first binary compound of noble gas to be discovered was xenon tetrafluoride. The reaction which we are dealing with here must produce a xenon compound because xenon is missing in the product side of the reaction.
To find the exact final product, we can use the balancing reaction approach to find what the product is. If we look at the reactant side we have one xenon, six fluorines and two oxygen atoms. Number of oxygen atoms are balanced as there are two oxygen atoms on the product side as well. We need to balance xenon and fluorine atoms and we only have one unknown compound remaining to be found. So we are left with one xenon and six fluorine atoms. If we combine them we come up with $ Xe{F_6} $ which is xenon hexafluoride. Xenon hexafluoride fits completely to be our unknown product because it balances the reaction perfectly.
Hence the final reaction would look like,
 $ Xe{F_4} + {O_2}{F_2} \to Xe{F_6} + {O_2} $
So A is $ Xe{F_6} $ .

Note :
Xenon hexafluoride has the shape of a distorted octahedral. This is because of the presence of one lone pair of electrons of xenon. This lone pair causes lone pair – bond pair repulsion which disturbs the natural octahedral geometry of the molecule. Xenon hexafluoride is the strongest fluorinating compound.