
Is H2O an exception to the octet rule? Those atoms can be the same element, as when oxygen bonds with itself to form O2, or with different elements, such as water (H2O). The exceptions to the octet rule are hydrogen and helium, which are both happy with two electrons in their outer shells.
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What are the exceptions to the octet rule?
And the octet rule has more elements breaking the rule than following it. While Lewis electron dot structures help determine bonding in most compounds, there are three general exceptions: molecules in which atoms have fewer than eight electrons (boron chloride and lighter s- and p- block elements);
Does oxygen obey the octet rule in water?
The oxygen heteroatom in water has TWO LONE pairs, and TWO BONDING pairs of electrons … i.e. oxygen obeys the octet rule… Does SO2 obey the octet rule? …. d orbital participation. [5] In terms of electron-counting formalism, the sulfur atom has an oxidation state of +4 and a formal charge of +1. Each atom has an octet.
Why is the duet rule used instead of the octet rule?
Since the first shell can only accommodate two electrons, elements such as lithium, helium, and hydrogen obey the duet rule instead of the octet rule. For example, lithium can lose an electron to have a stable configuration in which the valence shell holds two electrons.
Why do transition elements not obey the octet rule?
For example, lithium can lose an electron to have a stable configuration in which the valence shell holds two electrons. Due to the presence of a d-orbital, the transition elements do not obey the octet rule.

Does H2O follow octet rule?
Because hydrogen only needs two electrons to fill its valence shell, it follows the duet rule. It is an exception to the octet rule. Hydrogen only needs to form one bond. This is the reason why H is always a terminal atom and never a central atom.
Which elements are exceptions to octet rule?
Helium and hydrogen are exceptions to the octet rule, and some say the “duet rule” applies. H and He are stabilized with 2 electrons, not an octet.
What are the four exceptions to the octet rule?
However, there are three general exceptions to the octet rule: Molecules, such as NO, with an odd number of electrons; Molecules in which one or more atoms possess more than eight electrons, such as SF6; and. Molecules such as BCl3, in which one or more atoms possess less than eight electrons.
What are an example of exceptions to octet rule?
While most atoms obey the duet and octet rules, there are some exceptions. For example, elements such as boron or beryllium often form compounds in which the central atom is surrounded by fewer than eight electrons (e.g., BF₃ or BeH₂).
Which molecule does not obey octet rule?
Hydrogen molecule , Helium atom does not obey octet rule, rather they follow duplet rule.
Which atoms can exceed the octet rule?
An atom like phosphorus or sulfur which has more than an octet is said to have expanded its valence shell. This can only occur when the valence shell has enough orbitals to accommodate the extra electrons. For example, in the case of phosphorus, the valence shell has a principal quantum number n = 3.
Is NH3 an exception to the octet rule?
NH3 NH3 © Nitrogen does not follow its octet rule hence (II) is not resonating structure of (I).
Does co2 follow the octet rule?
In carbon dioxide each oxygen shares four electrons with the central carbon, two (shown in red) from the oxygen itself and two (shown in black) from the carbon. All four of these electrons are counted in both the carbon octet and the oxygen octet, so that both atoms are considered to obey the octet rule.
Why does the octet rule have exceptions?
Explanation: Elements of the third raw in the periodic table and beyond can carry more than 8 electrons on their outermost shell because of the additional room (space) on their orbital d.
Why does the octet rule have exceptions?
Explanation: Elements of the third raw in the periodic table and beyond can carry more than 8 electrons on their outermost shell because of the additional room (space) on their orbital d.
Is NH3 an exception to the octet rule?
NH3 NH3 © Nitrogen does not follow its octet rule hence (II) is not resonating structure of (I).
Why is bf3 an exception to the octet rule?
Boron commonly makes only three covalent bonds, resulting in only six valence electrons around the B atom. A well-known example is BF 3: The third violation to the octet rule is found in those compounds with more than eight electrons assigned to their valence shell.
Is SF4 an exception to the octet rule?
Lewis Dot of Sulfur Tetrafluoride SF4. S does not follow the octet rule. It will hold more than 8 electrons. Sulfur having valence electrons in the 3rd energy level, will also have access to the 3d sublevel, thus allowing for more than 8 electrons.
1. What is the difference between the octet of an electron and a valence electron?
An octet of an electron means the presence of eight electrons in its outermost shell. This is the ability of an electron to gain, lose, or share it...
2. Why do elements complete their octet?
The octet rule states that when an element loses, gains, or shares its outermost electrons to complete their octet state with a set of eight electr...
3. In what way is the octet rule useful?
The octet rule helps us predict the chemical behaviour of the elements. It helps us understand that an atom is most stable when it has valence shel...
4. Does the O2 molecule satisfy the octet configurations?
The octet rule helps us predict the chemical behaviour of the main group elements. It helps us understand that an atom is most stable when it has v...
5. Name any four elements that disobey the octet rule.
We all know that 1p shell does not exist hence many atoms attain stability in the 1s2 configuration itself. While on the other hand, some elements...
What is the octet rule?
Todd Helmenstine. Updated August 04, 2019. The octet rule is a bonding theory used to predict the molecular structure of covalently bonded molecules. According to the rule, atoms seek to have eight electrons in their outer—or valence—electron shells.
Which molecules have an odd number of electrons?
In general, molecules with an odd number of electrons tend to be free radicals. Nitrogen (IV) oxide (NO 2) is a well-known example. Note the lone electron on the nitrogen atom in the Lewis structure. Oxygen is another interesting example. Molecular oxygen molecules can have two single unpaired electrons.
What is a compound with an odd number of electrons called?
There is a class of compounds where the valence electrons contain an odd number of electrons in the valence shell. These molecules are known as free radicals. Free radicals contain at least one unpaired electron in their valence shell. In general, molecules with an odd number of electrons tend to be free radicals.
What is the orbital of an element in a period greater than period 3?
Elements in periods greater than period 3 on the periodic table have a d orbit al available with the same energy quantum number. Atoms in these periods may follow the octet rule, but there are conditions where they can expand their valence shells to accommodate more than eight electrons.
Which rule has more elements breaking the rule than following it?
And the octet rule has more elements breaking the rule than following it. While Lewis electron dot structures help determine bonding in most compounds, there are three general exceptions: molecules in which atoms have fewer than eight electrons (boron chloride and lighter s- and p- block elements); molecules in which atoms have more ...
Which element has too few electrons?
Too Few Electrons: Electron Deficient Molecules. Hydrogen, beryllium, and boron have too few electrons to form an octet. Hydrogen has only one valence electron and only one place to form a bond with another atom. Beryllium has only two valence atoms, and can form only electron pair bonds in two locations.
How many electrons are in a sulfur atom?
Sulfur and phosphorus are common examples of this behavior. Sulfur can follow the octet rule as in the molecule SF 2. Each atom is surrounded by eight electrons. It is possible to excite the sulfur atom sufficiently to push valence atoms into the d orbital to allow molecules such as SF 4 and SF 6. The sulfur atom in SF 4 has 10 valence electrons and 12 valence electrons in SF 6 .
What are the exceptions to the octet rule?
Some of the exceptions about octet rule are given below: An electron or molecule which contains unpaired electrons in its outermost shell or valence shell is considered as free radical. These electrons are less stable and do not obey the octet rule.
What is the octet rule?
The octet rule states that the elements which can lose, gain, or share electrons from its outermost shell to complete the valence shell with a set of eight electrons. Valence electrons mean the total number of electrons present in the outermost shell of an element that can participate in the bond formation. ...
What is the difference between an octet and a valence electron?
What is the Difference Between the Octet of an Electron and a Valence Electron? An octet of an electron means the presence of eight electrons in its outermost shell. This is the ability of an electron to gain, lose, or share their electrons with other elements to complete its octet. The valence of an electron means the total number ...
How many electrons does carbon have?
Carbon contains four electrons in its outermost shell. Also, carbon should have four electrons to complete its octet when it is combining with two molecules of oxygen. Here each carbon atom requires two electrons to complete its octet. Carbon and oxygen share their outermost electron and form CO2 which further completes the octet.
How many electrons can a d-orbital hold?
Another exception of octet rule is transition elements. Due to the presence of d-orbitals, they can hold 18 electrons in its outermost shell.
Which element has seven electrons in its outermost shell?
Carbon and oxygen share their outermost electron and form CO2 which further completes the octet. 2. NaCl. Chlorine contains seven electrons in its outermost shell and requires only one electron to complete its octet whereas sodium contains one electron in its outermost shell.
Which elements obey the octet rule?
Elements that obey octet rules are main group elements which are oxygen, carbon, nitrogen. s-block and p-block elements obey octet rule except for hydrogen, helium, and lithium.
What is the Octet Rule?
The octet rule dictates that atoms are most stable when their valence shells are filled with eight electrons. It is based on the observation that the atoms of the main group elements have a tendency to participate in chemical bonding in such a way that each atom of the resulting molecule has eight electrons in the valence shell. The octet rule is only applicable to the main group elements.
Which elements obey the octet rule?
In general, the elements that obey this rule include the s-block elements and the p-block elements (except hydrogen, helium, and lithium). The octet rule can be observed in the bonding between the carbon and oxygen atoms in a carbon dioxide molecule, ...
How many valence electrons does oxygen have?
Yes, each oxygen atom in the O 2 molecule is surrounded by a total of 8 valence electrons. Oxygen has a total of 6 electrons in the valence shell. In order to obtain a stable octet, the two oxygen atoms share a total of four electrons via a double bond.
How many valence electrons does phosphorus hold?
If all the phosphorus-chlorine bonds in a PCl 5 molecule are covalent, it would imply that the phosphorus molecule is violating the octet rule by holding a total of 10 valence electrons. The formation of five bonds by the phosphorus molecules can be explained by the sp 3 d hybridization in PCl 5.
What is an ion, atom, or a molecule containing an unpaired valence electron?
An ion, atom, or a molecule containing an unpaired valence electron is called a free radical. These species disobey the octet rule. However, they are very unstable and tend to spontaneously dimerize.
How many electrons does a transition atom hold?
Due to the presence of a d-orbital, the transition elements do not obey the octet rule. The valence shells of these atoms can hold 18 electrons.
How can the chemical behaviour of the main group elements be predicted?
The chemical behaviour of the main group elements can be predicted with the help of the octet rule. This is because the rule only involves ‘s’ and ‘p’ electrons, where the octet corresponds to an electron configuration ending with s 2 p 6. These elements tend to form bonds in order to obtain stable obtain octet configurations.
