Photo AI
Chlorine, Cl₂, is a simple molecular, covalent substance - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2016 - Paper 1
Question 5
Chlorine, Cl₂, is a simple molecular, covalent substance. The atoms in a molecule of chlorine are held together by a covalent bond. (i) Explain what is meant by th... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Chlorine, Cl₂, is a simple molecular, covalent substance - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2016 - Paper 1
Step 1
Explain what is meant by the term covalent bond.
Answer
A covalent bond is formed when two atoms share a pair of electrons. This sharing allows each atom to achieve a stable electron configuration, typically resembling that of noble gases. In a covalent bond, the electrons are not transferred from one atom to another, but rather they are shared between the atoms, leading to the formation of a strong bond.
Step 2
Draw the dot and cross diagram to show the bonding in a molecule of phosphorus trichloride, PCl₃.
Answer
In the dot and cross diagram for phosphorus trichloride (PCl₃), one phosphorus atom is at the center, showing five outer electrons represented as dots. Each of the three chlorine atoms is surrounding the phosphorus, each sharing one of their outer shell electrons (represented as crosses) to create covalent bonds. The resulting diagram includes three pairs of shared electrons, leading to a stable molecule.