Question

1. how many dots are in the electron - dot structure for phosphorous (p)?

eight
three
four
five

Explanation:

In an electron - dot structure (Lewis structure), the number of dots represents the number of valence electrons. Phosphorus (P) has an atomic number of 15. Its electron configuration is \(1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{6}3s^{2}3p^{3}\). The valence electrons are in the \(n = 3\) shell (\(3s^{2}3p^{3}\)), and the total number of valence electrons is \(2 + 3=5\).

Answer:

five