Question

which of the following lewis dot structures for sulfur is correct?

Explanation:

Step1: Determine the number of valence electrons of sulfur

Sulfur (\(S\)) is in Group 16 of the periodic table. The number of valence electrons of an element in Group \(n\) is \(n - 10\) (for \(n> 10\)). So, for \(S\) (\(n = 16\)), the number of valence electrons is \(6\).

Step2: Analyze each Lewis dot structure

• Structure A: Has \(8\) valence electrons (dots), which is incorrect for \(S\) (should be \(6\)).
• Structure B: Has \(6\) valence electrons (dots), which is correct for \(S\) as it has \(6\) valence electrons.
• Structure C: Has \(7\) valence electrons (dots), which is incorrect for \(S\).
• Structure D: Has \(3\) valence electrons (dots), which is incorrect for \(S\).

Answer:

B