Chemistry 121
Name ____________________
Chapter VIII Problem
Boron trifluoride, BF3, is a gas with boiling point -99.990C. It is sold commercially as
boron trifluoride etherate, a compound that is formed when boron trifluoride is
dissolved in diethyl ether, CH3CH2OCH2CH3. Diethyl ether boils at 350C; boron
trifluoride etherate boils at 1260C.
1. Show the hybridization of the central atoms in boron trifluoride and diethyl ether by
drawing three dimensional structural formulas for the compounds.
Determine the bond angles at the central atoms.
2. Why does boron trifluoride react so readily with diethyl ether? Answer this by
showing the interaction of the orbitals involved in the reaction.