After drawing the Lewis structure for phosphite, how many single bonds, double bonds, and lone pairs are on the phosphorus atom?

In the Lewis structure of phosphite (PH₃O₃), the phosphorus atom typically forms three single bonds with three oxygen atoms. Here’s how this is determined:

  • Single Bonds: Phosphorus shares one pair of electrons with each of the three oxygen atoms, resulting in three single bonds. This is a characteristic bonding behavior for phosphorus in such structures.
  • Double Bonds: There are no double bonds present between phosphorus and oxygen in the phosphite ion. In its common forms, phosphite typically does not form double bonds.
  • Lone Pairs: Phosphorus has one lone pair of electrons remaining after forming the three single bonds with oxygen. This reflects its tetravalent nature, where it can form a total of four bonds while retaining one pair of unshared electrons.

To summarize, in the Lewis structure of phosphite, the phosphorus atom has:

  • 3 single bonds
  • 0 double bonds
  • 1 lone pair

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