Draw the Lewis Dot Structure for POCl 3 .

Draw the Lewis dot structure for p o c l 3. Alright. So here, phosphorus is in group 5 a, so it has 5 valence electrons. Oxygen's in group 6 a, and then the chlorines are in group 7 a, and there's 3 of them. So here we add all of them together, and that's gonna give me 32 valence electrons. We're gonna place the least electronegative out of the 3 in the center, which is phosphorus, and connect the surrounding elements each by single bonds. Next, I'm going to add enough electrons to so they fulfill the octet rule. And realized I've used all 32 of my electrons with none left. Now this is a Lewis dot structure, but it is not the best structure. Remember, bonding preferences, Halogens, elements in group 7 a, like chlorine, it's okay that they make single bonds when they're surrounding out surrounding elements because that's their preference. But oxygen, oxygen ideally wants to make 2 bonds. Here it's only making 1. And phosphorus can have an expanded octet where it can have more than 8 electrons around it. So in order to accommodate oxygen and help it to get to 2 bonds, we're gonna take one of its lone pairs and use it to make a double bond to the phosphorus. And in that way, phosphorus is expanded in its octet and it's okay, and oxygen is making the 2 bonds that it wants. So here, this would be the best description of p o c l 3 in terms of a Lewis dot structure.

Table of contents

Skip topic navigation

1. Matter and Measurements4h 31m
2. Atoms and the Periodic Table5h 23m
3. Ionic Compounds2h 18m
4. Molecular Compounds2h 18m
5. Classification & Balancing of Chemical Reactions3h 17m
6. Chemical Reactions & Quantities2h 27m
7. Energy, Rate and Equilibrium3h 46m
8. Gases, Liquids and Solids3h 25m
9. Solutions4h 10m
10. Acids and Bases3h 29m
11. Nuclear Chemistry56m
BONUS: Lab Techniques and Procedures1h 38m
BONUS: Mathematical Operations and Functions47m
12. Introduction to Organic Chemistry1h 34m
13. Alkenes, Alkynes, and Aromatic Compounds2h 12m
14. Compounds with Oxygen or Sulfur1h 6m
15. Aldehydes and Ketones1h 1m
16. Carboxylic Acids and Their Derivatives1h 11m
17. Amines39m
18. Amino Acids and Proteins1h 51m
19. Enzymes1h 37m
20. Carbohydrates1h 41m
21. The Generation of Biochemical Energy2h 8m
22. Carbohydrate Metabolism2h 22m
23. Lipids2h 26m
24. Lipid Metabolism1h 45m
25. Protein and Amino Acid Metabolism1h 37m
26. Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis2h 54m

4. Molecular Compounds

Lewis Dot Structures: Exceptions (Simplified)

GOB Chemistry

4. Molecular Compounds

Lewis Dot Structures: Exceptions (Simplified)

Previous problemNext problem

Struggling with GOB Chemistry?

Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video

Multiple Choice

Draw the Lewis Dot Structure for POCl₃.

Previous problemNext problem

Verified step by step guidance

Identify the total number of valence electrons in POCl3. Phosphorus (P) has 5 valence electrons, oxygen (O) has 6, and each chlorine (Cl) has 7. Therefore, the total is 5 + 6 + (3 * 7) = 32 valence electrons.

Determine the central atom. Phosphorus (P) is less electronegative than oxygen and chlorine, so it will be the central atom.

Connect the central phosphorus atom to the oxygen and three chlorine atoms using single bonds. This uses up 8 electrons (4 bonds * 2 electrons per bond).

Distribute the remaining 24 electrons to satisfy the octet rule for the outer atoms (oxygen and chlorine). Start by placing 6 electrons (3 pairs) around each chlorine atom and 4 electrons (2 pairs) around the oxygen atom.

Check if the central phosphorus atom has a complete octet. If not, consider forming a double bond between phosphorus and oxygen to satisfy the octet rule for phosphorus, while ensuring the total number of electrons used is 32.