▎a) Electronic Configuration of Chlorine
The atomic number of chlorine (Cl) is 17, which means it has 17 electrons. The electronic configuration of chlorine can be written as follows:
1. The first energy level (1s) can hold a maximum of 2 electrons:
• 1s²
2. The second energy level (2s and 2p) can hold a maximum of 8 electrons:
• 2s² 2p⁶
3. The third energy level (3s and 3p) can hold the remaining 7 electrons:
• 3s² 3p⁵
Putting it all together, the electronic configuration of chlorine is:
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁵
▎b) Composition of Chlorine Molecule by Electron Dot Structure
Chlorine exists as a diatomic molecule (Cl₂) in its elemental form. In the electron dot structure (also known as Lewis dot structure), we represent the valence electrons of the atoms involved.
1. Valence Electrons of Chlorine:
• Chlorine has 7 valence electrons (from its configuration: 3s² 3p⁵).
2. Electron Dot Structure for Cl₂:
• Each chlorine atom will contribute its 7 valence electrons, and they will share one pair of electrons to form a covalent bond.
The electron dot structure for the chlorine molecule (Cl₂) can be represented as follows:
:Cl: + :Cl: → :Cl::Cl:
In this representation:
• Each colon (:) represents a pair of shared electrons (the bond).
• Each chlorine atom has three remaining unshared valence electrons, which are not shown in the bond but are implied.
Thus, the Cl₂ molecule has a single covalent bond between the two chlorine atoms, and each atom retains three unshared valence electrons.
Feb 23, 2025