Short instructional video explaining the Lewis structure and molecular shape of boron trifluoride (BF3). The speaker describes atom counts, bonding (three B–F single bonds), lone pairs on fluorines completing their octets, boron’s three valence electrons, and that the molecule is trigonal planar (electronic and molecular shape the same).
The Lewis structure of boron trifluoride. Boron trifluoride has the formula BF3. So we need one boron atom and three fluorine atoms. Boron is bonded to each fluorine by a shared pair of electrons, So we need three shared pairs of electrons. A boron is in group. Three of the periodic table, which means that it has three outer electrons. Well, it's using up all three of its outer electrons in the bonding. And so the electronic shape is the same as the molecular shape. In this case, it is trigonal planar. To complete the Lewis structure correctly, we will put the three lone pairs on each fluorine as well, which we can do 1, 2, 3, that fluorine. 1, 2, 3 on that fluorine. And 1, 2, 3 on this fluorine. This means that fluorine, of course, has got a full octet and it's using all seven of its electrons. Do a bit more attractive with the angle right one down here. That looks a bit better. Okay, so this is the Lewis structure of boron trifluoride.
