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Ch.8 - Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding
Chapter 8, Problem 8

Fill in the blank with the appropriate numbers for both electrons and bonds (considering that single bonds are counted as one, double bonds as two, and triple bonds as three). (a) Fluorine has _ valence electrons and makes _ bond(s) in compounds. (b) Oxygen has _ valence electrons and makes _ bond(s) in compounds. (c) Nitrogen has _ valence electrons and makes _ bond(s) in compounds. (d) Carbon has _ valence electrons and makes _ bond(s) in compounds.

Verified step by step guidance
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Step 1: Determine the number of valence electrons for each element using the periodic table. Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom.
Step 2: For fluorine (F), locate it in Group 17 (or VIIA) of the periodic table. Elements in this group have 7 valence electrons.
Step 3: Fluorine typically forms one single bond in compounds to achieve a full octet, as it needs one more electron to complete its outer shell.
Step 4: For oxygen (O), locate it in Group 16 (or VIA) of the periodic table. Elements in this group have 6 valence electrons.
Step 5: Oxygen typically forms two bonds (either two single bonds or one double bond) to achieve a full octet, as it needs two more electrons to complete its outer shell.

Key Concepts

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

Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom and are crucial for determining how an atom interacts with others. They participate in chemical bonding, influencing the atom's reactivity and the types of bonds it can form. For example, fluorine has seven valence electrons, which makes it highly reactive as it seeks to gain one more electron to achieve a stable octet.
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Types of Chemical Bonds

Chemical bonds are the forces that hold atoms together in compounds. The main types include single bonds (one pair of shared electrons), double bonds (two pairs), and triple bonds (three pairs). The number of bonds an atom can form is often determined by its valence electrons; for instance, carbon can form four single bonds or a combination of double and single bonds due to its four valence electrons.
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Octet Rule

The octet rule is a chemical principle stating that atoms tend to bond in such a way that they have eight electrons in their valence shell, achieving a stable electron configuration similar to noble gases. This rule helps predict how many bonds an atom will form; for example, oxygen, with six valence electrons, typically forms two bonds to complete its octet, while nitrogen, with five, usually forms three.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Which of the following charts shows the general periodic trends for the electronegativities of the representative elements? [Section 8.4]

Textbook Question

A molecule with formula C4H3NO has the connectivity shown in the figure. After the Lewis structure of the molecule is completed, how many of each of the following are there in the molecule:

a. single bonds,

b. double bonds,

c. triple bonds,

d. nonbonding pairs? [Sections 8.3 and 8.5]

Textbook Question

In the Lewis structure shown here, A, D, E, Q, X, and Z represent elements in the first two rows of the periodic table. Identify all six elements so that the formal charges of all atoms are zero.

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Textbook Question

The molecule shown here is styrene, C8H8, a benzene derivative that is used to make a number of polymers, including polystyrene. The shorthand notation for the benzene ring (described in Section 8.6) is used. Three of the carbon–carbon bonds are numbered in the structure.

a. Which of the three bonds is the strongest?

b. Which of the three bonds is the longest?

c. Which of the three bonds is best described as halfway between a single and a double bond? [Sections 8.6 and 8.8]

Textbook Question

Consider the Lewis structure for the polyatomic oxyanion shown here, where X is an element from the third period (Na - Ar). By changing the overall charge, n, from 1- to 2- to 3- we get three different polyatomic ions. For each of these ions (b) determine the formal charge of the central atom, X;

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Textbook Question

(a) True or false: An element's number of valence electrons is the same as its atomic number.