Step 1: Understand what square planar geometry means. It is a shape where four atoms are arranged in a square around a central atom, and there are no atoms above or below the square.
Step 2: Identify the molecule in question, which is XeF4 (Xenon Tetrafluoride).
Step 3: Determine the number of bonding pairs and lone pairs around the central atom (Xenon).
Step 4: XeF4 has four fluorine atoms bonded to xenon (4 bonding pairs) and two lone pairs of electrons on xenon.
Step 5: Use the VSEPR theory (Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion) to predict the shape. The four bonding pairs and two lone pairs arrange themselves to minimize repulsion, resulting in a square planar shape.
