To arrange the atomic cores for two fluorine atoms with a sulfur atom, we need to consider the electron configuration and bonding patterns of these elements.
Fluorine (F) has an atomic number of 9, indicating that it has 9 electrons. The electron configuration of fluorine is 1s² 2s² 2p⁵. This means it has two electrons in the 1s orbital, two electrons in the 2s orbital, and five electrons in the 2p orbital.
Sulfur (S) has an atomic number of 16, and its electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴. This configuration indicates that sulfur has six valence electrons in its outermost shell (3s² 3p⁴).
To form bonds, each fluorine atom needs one additional electron to complete its valence shell and achieve stability by attaining a full octet (8 valence electrons). Similarly, the sulfur atom needs two additional electrons to complete its valence shell.
One way to arrange the atomic cores is to form a sulfur molecule (S₂) with a single covalent bond between the two sulfur atoms. Each sulfur atom shares two electrons, creating a double bond. This arrangement fulfills the sulfur atom's need for two additional electrons.
Next, each fluorine atom can form a single covalent bond with one of the sulfur atoms. This bond involves the sharing of one electron from each fluorine atom and one electron from the sulfur atom, resulting in the formation of two sulfur-fluorine bonds (S-F).
The final arrangement can be represented as follows:
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