What would be the electron dot structure of a molecule of sulfur which is made up of eight atoms of sulfur? ( Hint - The Eight atoms of sulfur are joined together in the form of a ring.)
Answer
Sulfur, like carbon, has catenation tendencies, that means, that it tends to link to itself
Thus, it combines with itself to form the S 8 molecule in the shape of a ring .
Let’s look at how that happens
Sulfur has 4 valence electrons.
- Each Sulfur atom will hence need 4 more electrons to complete its octet.
- Since the 8 atoms form a ring, each sulfur atom will be surrounded by two other sulphurs on each side.
- So each of the 2 sulfur atoms can share 2 electrons each with the neighboring
sulfur, completing its octet.
The sulfur molecule (S 8 ) has the structure given below:
