Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: ThePhenom on February 20, 2008, 06:25:08 PM
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Im not sure why sulfur is able to bond with six different atoms at once, and why phosphorus can also achieve an expanded valence. ???
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S and P have orbitals 3s, 3p and 3d. If 3s and 3p are filled up, an expanded valence can be achieved by filling up the 3d orbital.
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see at electronic structure of:
PCl5, HPF6
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S and P have orbitals 3s, 3p and 3d. If 3s and 3p are filled up, an expanded valence can be achieved by filling up the 3d orbital.
Why does this happen though?
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It is actually a topic that is not fully understood. Depending on your class it may be acceptable to say that sulfur accesses higher valence shells but some would say that it is much more complicated than this.
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jacsat/1986/108/i13/f-pdf/f_ja00273a006.pdf?sessid=6006l3
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Have you studied hybridized orbitals in your class?