Question
Write the limitations of the octet rule in chemical bond formation.
Answer
The limitations of the octet rule in chemical bond formation are:
- The octet rule is not applicable to elements that have more or less than eight electrons in their valence shell, such as boron and phosphorus.
- The octet rule does not explain the bonding in molecules that involve atoms with odd numbers of electrons, such as NO and NO2.
- The octet rule assumes that all atoms in a molecule have the same electronegativity, which is not always true in reality.
- The octet rule does not explain the phenomenon of resonance, where multiple Lewis structures can represent a single molecule.