What makes an atom stable?

What makes an atom stable?

An atom is stable if the forces among the particles that makeup the nucleus are balanced. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy. Instability of an atom’s nucleus may result from an excess of either neutrons or protons.

What is the most stable configuration of electrons in an atom?

valence shell

When can the octet rule be broken?

The Octet Rule is violated in these three scenarios: When there are an odd number of valence electrons. When there are too few valence electrons. When there are too many valence electrons.

Is water an exception to the octet rule?

Those atoms can be the same element, as when oxygen bonds with itself to form O2, or with different elements, such as water (H2O). The exceptions to the octet rule are hydrogen and helium, which are both happy with two electrons in their outer shells. Click to see full answer.

Can sulfur form 5 bonds?

Of course sulfur is not oxygen, so it does not behave exactly the same way that oxygen behaves. For example, sulfur can form up to six bonds, which is what is the case in something like sulfuric acid — (H2)SO4.

How many bonds can Xenon form?

8 covalent bonds

Why can Xenon have more than 8 valence electrons?

It actually bonds. It will hold more than 8 electrons. Xenon having valence electrons in the 4th energy level, will also have access to the 4d sublevel, thus allowing for more than 8 electrons. XeF4 is d2sp3 hybridized and contains 2 lone pair and 4 bonding pairs of valence electrons around the Xenon.

Which compound of xenon is not possible?

This is because the promotion of 1, 2, or 3 electrons from the 5p filled orbitals to 5d vacant orbitals will give rise to 2,4,6 half-filled orbitals. The structures are as shown: It cannot combine with an odd number of F –atoms. Thus, the formation of XeF3 and XeF5 is not possible.