Chap 7 supplementary

Exceptions to Octet Rule &

Resonance

Some examples of exceptions

to octet rule

Electron-Deficient
Molecules

Gaseous molecules containing

either beryllium or boron as the
central atom are often electron
deficient

Odd-Electron Molecules

A few molecules contain a central

atom with an odd number of valence
electrons, so they cannot possibly
have all their electrons in pairs.
Most odd-electron molecules have a
central atom from an odd-numbered
group, such as N or CI
NO2

Expanded Valence Shells

A central atom can accommodate

additional pairs by using empty
outer d orbitals in addition to
occupied s and p orbitals
occur only with a central
nonmetal atom in which d
orbitals are available, that is, one
from Period 3 or higher

Example

H2SO4

Formal charge

Resonance

Resonance structures have the

same relative placement of atoms
but different locations of bonding
and lone electron pairs.

We can often write more than

one Lewis structure, each with
the same relative placement of
atoms, for a molecule or ion with
double bonds next to single bonds.

The actual molecule is a

resonance hybrid, an average of
the resonance forms

Write Lewis formula for

CO32-

The true structure can be

described as an average, or
hybrid, of the three

The typical C-O single bond length is

1.43 , and the typical C=O double
bond length is 1.22 . The C-O bond
length for each bond in the CO32- ion is
inter-mediate at 1.29