Drawing an Electron-Dot Structure
Draw an electron-dot structure for phosphine, PH_3.
STRATEGY
The number of covalent bonds formed by a main-group element depends on the element’s group number. Phosphorus, a group 5A element, has five valence electrons and can achieve a valence-shell octet by forming three bonds and leaving one lone pair. Each hydrogen supplies one electron to the P-H bonds.
\quad \ \ \ H\\H_•^•\ \overset{••}{\underset{••}{P}}\ {}_•^• H Phosphine