Question

If an atom is in column VIII (18), what will happen to fulfill the octet rule?

Answer 1

Atoms in column VIII (18) are inert gases, which means that the octet rule is not filled. This is because the valence shell of these atoms is full and cannot be filled, meaning that the atom does not gain or lose electrons. As a result, the atom does not form bonds with other atoms and remains stable on its own. Therefore, these atoms do not fulfill the octet rule because they do not take part in bonding with other atoms.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

If an atom is in column VIII (18), it is already considered to have a full outer shell, so it does not need to fulfill the octet rule.

Step-by-step explanation:

Elements in column VIII (18), also known as the noble gases, have a complete valence shell of eight electrons (with the exception of helium, which has a full valence shell with only two electrons). This makes them particularly stable and unreactive. Because their outer shell is already full, they do not need to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. This is why noble gases are often referred to as "inert" or "nonreactive" elements.

Therefore, if an atom is in column VIII (18), it does not need to do anything to fulfill the octet rule, as it already has a full outer shell of electrons.