JEE Main · 2026 · 23 Jan 2026 · Shift 1 · Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure

Counting lone pairs from the Lewis structures: ${\text{HNO}}_3$ has 7 lone pairs on its oxygen atoms, ${\text{H}}_2{\text{SO}}_4$ has 8 on its oxygens, ${\text{O}}_3$ has 6 over its three oxygens, and ${\text{NF}}_3$ has 10 (three on each fluorine and one on nitrogen). Thus ${\text{NF}}_3$ carries the maximum number of lone pairs and is molecule $X$. Its nitrogen is $s{p}^3$ hybridised with a single lone pair, giving a trigonal pyramidal shape; the lone pair compresses the bonding angle below the tetrahedral value, so the F-N-F bond angle is about $102^{\circ }$.