QUESTION 13 Click on the correct Lewis dot structure for the Sulfur atom

. S Se S
QUESTION 13 Click on the correct Lewis dot structure for the Sulfur atom. S Se S

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:

Correct Lewis Dot Structure for the Sulfur Atom:

The correct Lewis dot structure for a sulfur (S) atom is:

S with six valence electrons shown as dots around it:

  ..
S :
  ..

Or more clearly:

  ..
: S :
  ..

Sulfur has six valence electrons, so the Lewis dot structure should show six dots around the symbol S, placed as lone pairs around four sides (top, bottom, left, right).

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Explanation

The Lewis dot structure is a simple representation of the valence electrons in an atom. These valence electrons are the outermost electrons involved in chemical bonding. To determine the correct Lewis dot structure for sulfur, we must first understand its position on the periodic table.

Sulfur (S) is found in Group 16 (also known as the oxygen family or chalcogens). All elements in Group 16 have six valence electrons. These are the electrons located in the outermost shell of the atom and are important for bonding and chemical reactivity.

To draw the Lewis dot structure for sulfur:

1. Write the symbol S to represent the sulfur atom.
2. Place six dots around the symbol to represent the six valence electrons.
3. According to Lewis structure conventions, electrons are placed one at a time on each of the four sides (top, bottom, left, and right) before pairing any up. So you would place:
   • One dot on each side (four total),
   • Then add a second dot to any two sides to make up the six total.

The correct result is a sulfur atom with two lone pairs and two unpaired electrons, reflecting the ability of sulfur to form up to two bonds (like in H₂S) or more (like in SO₂ or SO₄²⁻).

Sometimes confusion arises because selenium (Se), located just below sulfur in the periodic table, also has six valence electrons and a similar dot structure. However, the correct answer for sulfur specifically is the one with six dots around an “S” symbol.

So, the correct Lewis dot structure for a sulfur atom is S with six valence electrons represented as dots around it.