Use VSEPR theory to answer the following questions:(a) Which molecule, BF3 or PF3, has the smaller F¬X¬Fangles?

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory is a model used to predict the geometry of individual molecules based on the repulsion between electron pairs in the valence shell of the central atom. According to VSEPR, electron pairs, whether bonding or lone pairs, will arrange themselves to minimize repulsion, leading to specific molecular shapes and bond angles.

Molecular geometry refers to the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms within a molecule. The shape of a molecule influences its physical and chemical properties, including bond angles. In the case of BF3 and PF3, the central atom's size and the number of lone pairs affect the overall geometry and the resulting F-X-F bond angles.

Bond angles are the angles formed between two adjacent bonds at a central atom. They are influenced by the molecular geometry and the presence of lone pairs. In BF3, the bond angles are expected to be larger due to the absence of lone pairs on boron, while PF3 has a lone pair on phosphorus, which can compress the bond angles, resulting in smaller F-P-F angles compared to F-B-F angles.