Question

Select the statements below that are true for the Lewis structure of PCI₃. (select all that apply)

Select one or more:
1. phosphorus has 1 lone pair
2. all atoms follow the octet rule
3. phosphorus has a formal charge of -1
4. the structure shows 28 valence electrons
5. phosphorus has 4 electron domains

Answer 1

In PCl3, phosphorus has 1 lone pair, 4 electron domains, and all atoms follow the octet rule. Phosphorus has no formal charge, and the Lewis structure shows 26 valence electrons, not 28.

Step-by-step explanation:

The structures of phosphorus trichloride (PCl3) can be analyzed using Lewis structures which show the arrangement of valence electrons. The Lewis structure of PCl3 is determined by following these steps:

1. Count the total number of valence electrons. Phosphorus has 5 valence electrons and each chlorine has 7 valence electrons, giving a total of 26 (5 from phosphorus + 3*7 from chlorine).
2. Arrange electrons to fulfill the octet rule. Each chlorine atom needs 8 electrons to complete its octet, which it achieves by forming a single bond with phosphorus (sharing one pair of electrons with phosphorus) and having three lone pairs.
3. After forming three P-Cl bonds, phosphorus has 3 electron domains from bonds and one lone pair, which is the fourth electron domain.

Based on this analysis:

• Phosphorus does have 1 lone pair.
• All atoms follow the octet rule.
• Phosphorus does not have a formal charge since it shares one electron with each of the three chlorines and has one lone pair, resulting in its octet being complete without the need for a formal charge.
• The structure shows 26 valence electrons, not 28.
• Phosphorus has 4 electron domains, 3 from bonds and 1 from the lone pair.