Question

1. draw the electron dot diagrams and answer the following questions

a) phosphorous: arsenic
b) phosphorous is an element that is used in your dna. when people ingest poisonous arsenic, their body thinks they are consuming phosphorous. based on what you just drew, what you know about valence electrons, why would your body think that? (think: what is the same between phosphorus and arsenic?)
c) based on this, why is it important to know valence electrons of different elements? (think: how can that differentiate elements?)

1. draw electron dot diagrams for the following and answer the questions

a) fluorine chlorine bromine
b) fluorine and is very toxic to your membranes in elemental form. what do you think is true of chlorin bromine?
c) why do people study valence electrons?

Explanation:

Step1: Determine valence electrons of Phosphorus

Phosphorus has 15 electrons. Its electron - configuration is 2, 8, 5. So it has 5 valence electrons. For the electron - dot diagram, we place the symbol 'P' and then 5 dots around it.

Step2: Determine valence electrons of Arsenic

Arsenic has 33 electrons. Its electron - configuration is 2, 8, 18, 5. So it has 5 valence electrons. For the electron - dot diagram, we place the symbol 'As' and then 5 dots around it.

Step3: Answer part b of question 2

Phosphorus and arsenic both have 5 valence electrons. Since chemical reactivity and how elements are recognized by biological systems often depend on valence electrons, the body may mistake arsenic for phosphorus because of this similarity in valence - electron number.

Step4: Answer part c of question 2

Valence electrons determine an element's chemical properties and reactivity. By knowing the number of valence electrons, we can predict how an element will bond with other elements, its oxidation states, and its position in chemical reactions. This helps in differentiating elements as elements with different valence electrons will have different chemical behaviors.

Step5: Determine valence electrons of Fluorine

Fluorine has 9 electrons. Its electron - configuration is 2, 7. So it has 7 valence electrons. For the electron - dot diagram, we place the symbol 'F' and then 7 dots around it.

Step6: Determine valence electrons of Chlorine

Chlorine has 17 electrons. Its electron - configuration is 2, 8, 7. So it has 7 valence electrons. For the electron - dot diagram, we place the symbol 'Cl' and then 7 dots around it.

Step7: Determine valence electrons of Bromine

Bromine has 35 electrons. Its electron - configuration is 2, 8, 18, 7. So it has 7 valence electrons. For the electron - dot diagram, we place the symbol 'Br' and then 7 dots around it.

Step8: Answer part b of question 3

Fluorine, chlorine, and bromine all have 7 valence electrons. They are all highly reactive non - metals in their elemental form. They tend to gain one electron to achieve a stable octet. They are all halogens and have similar chemical properties due to the same number of valence electrons.

Step9: Answer part c of question 3

People study valence electrons because they are involved in chemical bonding. The number and arrangement of valence electrons determine an element's chemical reactivity, the types of bonds it can form (ionic, covalent, etc.), and its ability to participate in chemical reactions. This knowledge is crucial in fields like materials science, pharmaceuticals, and environmental chemistry.

Answer:

• Electron - dot diagram of Phosphorus: Place 'P' with 5 dots around it.
• Electron - dot diagram of Arsenic: Place 'As' with 5 dots around it.
• Answer to 2b: Phosphorus and arsenic have the same number of valence electrons (5), so the body may mistake arsenic for phosphorus.
• Answer to 2c: Valence electrons determine chemical properties and reactivity, helping to differentiate elements.
• Electron - dot diagram of Fluorine: Place 'F' with 7 dots around it.
• Electron - dot diagram of Chlorine: Place 'Cl' with 7 dots around it.
• Electron - dot diagram of Bromine: Place 'Br' with 7 dots around it.
• Answer to 3b: Fluorine, chlorine, and bromine are all halogens with 7 valence electrons, highly reactive non - metals that tend to gain one electron.
• Answer to 3c: Valence electrons are involved in chemical bonding and determine an element's chemical reactivity and bonding ability.