The Lewis dot structure of phosphorus (P) illustrates the valence electrons of the element. Phosphorus is in group 15 of the periodic table and has five valence electrons. To represent this in a Lewis dot structure, we start by placing the symbol ‘P’ in the center.
To depict the valence electrons, we place dots around the ‘P’ symbol. According to the rules, the dots are placed one by one on each side of the element before pairing them. Therefore, we will place one dot on each of the four sides (top, right, bottom, left) of the ‘P’ symbol and then place the fifth dot on one of the sides to indicate it is paired. This results in the following structure:
P: • • • • •
In this representation, the five dots show that phosphorus has five valence electrons available for bonding with other atoms. Understanding the Lewis dot structure is crucial for predicting the behavior and reactivity of phosphorus in chemical reactions.