During a study of the octet rule, a student identifies exceptions. Which molecule contains a central atom that is stable with fewer than eight valence electrons?
Q1. During a study of the octet rule, a student identifies exceptions. Which molecule contains a central atom that is stable with fewer than eight valence electrons?
Answer: BCl3
Explanation: BCl3 is an electron-deficient molecule with only 6 electrons in its valence shell; PCl3 is tempting but follows the octet rule.