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Ch.8 - Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding
Brown - Chemistry: The Central Science 14th Edition
Brown14th EditionChemistry: The Central ScienceISBN: 9780134414232Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksBrown 14th EditionCh.8 - Basic Concepts of Chemical BondingProblem 33b
Chapter 8, Problem 33b

Using Lewis symbols and Lewis structures, make a sketch of the formation of NCl3 from N and Cl atoms, showing valence-shell electrons. (b) How many bonds Cl has to make in order to achieve an octet?

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Start by identifying the valence electrons for each atom. Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons, and Chlorine (Cl) has 7 valence electrons. Represent these electrons using Lewis symbols: N with 5 dots around it and Cl with 7 dots around it.
To form NCl3, nitrogen will share its electrons with chlorine atoms to achieve a stable octet configuration. Each chlorine atom needs one more electron to complete its octet, and nitrogen needs three more electrons.
Draw a Lewis structure where the nitrogen atom is in the center, and three chlorine atoms are surrounding it. Each chlorine atom will form a single covalent bond with nitrogen by sharing one electron with nitrogen.
Represent each shared pair of electrons (covalent bond) between nitrogen and chlorine with a line. This means you will have three lines connecting the nitrogen atom to each of the three chlorine atoms.
Check the octet rule: Ensure that nitrogen has 8 electrons around it (5 original + 3 shared) and each chlorine atom has 8 electrons (7 original + 1 shared). This confirms that all atoms achieve an octet configuration.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Lewis Symbols

Lewis symbols represent the valence electrons of an atom as dots surrounding the element's symbol. Each dot corresponds to a valence electron, which are the electrons involved in chemical bonding. This visual representation helps in understanding how atoms interact and bond with each other, particularly in covalent compounds.
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Lewis Structures

Lewis structures are diagrams that depict the arrangement of atoms and the distribution of valence electrons in a molecule. They illustrate how atoms are bonded together and show lone pairs of electrons. By using these structures, one can predict the molecular geometry and the types of bonds formed, which is essential for understanding the formation of compounds like NCl3.
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Octet Rule

The octet rule states that atoms tend to form bonds in such a way that they each have eight electrons in their valence shell, achieving a stable electron configuration similar to that of noble gases. In the case of chlorine in NCl3, each Cl atom needs to form one bond with nitrogen to complete its octet, as it starts with seven valence electrons.
Related Practice
Textbook Question

Using Lewis symbols and Lewis structures, make a sketch of the formation of NCl3 from N and Cl atoms, showing valence-shell electrons. (a) How many valence electrons does N have initially? (c) How many valence electrons surround the N in the NCl3 molecule? (d) How many valence electrons surround each Cl in the NCl3 molecule?

Textbook Question

(a) State whether or not the bonding in each substance is likely to be covalent: (i) glucose, (ii) nitrogen, (iii) aluminum hydroxide, (iv) ammonia, (v) neon.

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Textbook Question

(b) How many bonding electrons are in the structure?

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Textbook Question

Using Lewis symbols and Lewis structures, diagram the formation of PF3 from P and F atoms, showing valence-shell electrons. (a) How many valence electrons does P have initially? (c) How many valence electrons surround the P in the PF3 molecule? (d) How many valence electrons surround each P in the PF3 molecule?

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Textbook Question

Using Lewis symbols and Lewis structures, diagram the formation of PF3 from P and F atoms, showing valence-shell electrons. (e) Does PF3 obey the octet rule?

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