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Multiple Choice
Which Lewis electron-dot diagram correctly represents an atom in the ground state for a group 13 element?
A
An atom with five valence electrons, shown as five dots around the symbol
B
An atom with eight valence electrons, shown as eight dots around the symbol
C
An atom with two valence electrons, shown as two dots around the symbol
D
An atom with three valence electrons, each represented as a single dot around the symbol (e.g., Al with three dots)
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the group number of the element in the periodic table. Group 13 elements have three valence electrons because they are in the 13th column of the main group elements.
Recall that Lewis electron-dot diagrams represent only the valence electrons of an atom as dots placed around the chemical symbol of the element.
For a group 13 element, place three single dots around the element's symbol, each dot representing one valence electron. These dots are usually placed one on each side (top, right, bottom, left) before pairing any electrons.
Understand that the ground state configuration means electrons are unpaired as much as possible, so the three valence electrons will be shown as three separate single dots rather than paired dots.
Verify that the other options are incorrect because: five dots would represent five valence electrons (group 15), eight dots represent a full octet (noble gases), and two dots represent two valence electrons (group 2).