Can phosphorus have an expanded octet?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking whether phosphorus can have more than eight electrons in its valence shell, which relates to concepts in chemistry about electron configurations and bonding. To address this, we'll discuss the characteristics of phosphorus and its ability to form compounds that might exhibit expanded octets.

More Information

Phosphorus can expand its octet because it is in the 3rd period of the periodic table, allowing access to d-orbitals for bonding.

Tips

A common mistake is thinking only main group elements strictly follow the octet rule; elements in and beyond the 3rd period often have expanded octets.

Sources

• The web page with info on - Example Source - chem.ucla.edu
• 7.2: Exceptions to the Octet Rule - Chemistry LibreTexts - chem.libretexts.org
• Which elements can have an expanded octet? - Quora - quora.com