Question

what ion will be formed by the sulfur atom shown below when it has a stable set of valence electrons or it satisfies the octet rule?

Explanation:

Step1: Determine the number of valence electrons in a sulfur atom

Sulfur has an atomic number of 16. Its electron configuration is \(1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{6}3s^{2}3p^{4}\). The valence electrons are in the \(3s\) and \(3p\) orbitals. So, a sulfur atom has 6 valence electrons.

Step2: Apply the octet rule

The octet rule states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to have 8 valence electrons. Since sulfur has 6 valence electrons, it needs to gain 2 electrons to achieve an octet.

Step3: Determine the ion formed

When an atom gains electrons, it forms a negatively - charged ion (anion). If sulfur gains 2 electrons, the ion formed is \(S^{2 -}\)

Answer:

\(S^{2 -}\)