What is the electron dot formula of the cation in solid phosphorus pentabromide?

To write the electron dot formula of the cation in solid phosphorus pentabromide (PBr₅), we first need to identify the cation itself. In this case, the cation is the phosphorus ion (P⁺⁵).

Phosphorus has five valence electrons in its neutral state. When it forms the cation P⁺⁵, it loses all five valence electrons. Therefore, the electron dot formula for the cation will not have any dots surrounding the phosphorus since all its valence electrons have been removed.

Thus, the electron dot formula for the cation in phosphorus pentabromide can be represented as:

P⁺⁵

This indicates that the phosphorus has a positive charge due to the loss of its five valence electrons, and there are no remaining electrons to show in the dot structure.