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Saturday, 31 October

JEE Main 2025 · ChemistryMultiple choiceTwo statementsMediumConceptual

JEE Main 4 April 2025, Shift 2, Chemistry Q56

Question 56 of 75 in this shift, Chemistry question 6 of 25, Section A.

Given below are two statements : Statement (I) : For ClF3\mathrm{ClF_3} (with lone pairs on Cl), all three possible structures may be drawn as follows. [figure: three trigonal-bipyramidal structures I, II, III of ClF3 with Cl at centre, three F atoms and two lone pairs drawn as orbitals] Statement (II) : Structure III is most stable, as the orbitals having the lone pairs are axial, where the lp - bp repulsion is minimum. In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :

The figure, in words

Three drawings (I, II, III) of ClF3 as trigonal bipyramids with Cl at centre, three F atoms and two lone-pair orbitals: in I both lone pairs are equatorial (F above and below, one F to the right); in II one lone pair is axial and one equatorial; in III both lone pairs are axial.
  1. (1)Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
  2. (2)Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
  3. (3)Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrectOfficial answer
  4. (4)Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct

Official answer

Option 3

NTA final key.

Chapter
Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure
Topic
VSEPR Theory
Idea tested
Trigonal Bipyramidal Positions

Same idea in other shifts

Asked 5× in all
  1. 1 Feb 2024, Shift 1 · Q82The number of molecules/ion/s having trigonal bipyramidal shape is ________. PF5\mathrm{PF_5}, BrF5\mathrm{BrF_5}, PCl5\mathrm{PCl_5},…MediumNumerical value
  2. 27 Jun 2022, Shift 2 · Q62Identify the **incorrect** statement for PCl5\mathrm{PCl_5} from the following.EasySingle correct
  3. 18 Mar 2021, Shift 2 · Q52The number of species below that have two lone pairs of electrons in their central atom is __________. (Round off to the Nearest Integer).…MediumNumerical value
  4. 8 Jan 2020, Shift 2 · Q49Complexes (ML5\mathrm{ML_5}) of metals Ni and Fe have ideal square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal geometries, respectively. The sum of…MediumNumerical value

Question text from the official JEE Main paper published by NTA; answer from the final answer key. Chapter, topic and idea tags, difficulty and skill are Lumi’s. This question needs a figure we do not reproduce; it is described in words above. Lumi analyses 108 of the 174 JEE Main shifts held from 2017 to 2026.