Problem: Atoms of oxygen have a total of 8 electrons. are these atoms stable, and why or why not?

Recall that the octet rule states that an element is surrounded by eight electrons in the Lewis structure.

Exceptions to this rule occur when:

• there is an odd number of electrons, like in radicals

• there are less than 8 electrons or incomplete octet

• there are more than 8 electrons or expanded octet. This occurs to nonmetals from Period 3 to 7.

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Atoms of oxygen have a total of 8 electrons. are these atoms stable, and why or why not?

What scientific concept do you need to know in order to solve this problem?

Our tutors have indicated that to solve this problem you will need to apply the Octet Rule concept. You can view video lessons to learn Octet Rule. Or if you need more Octet Rule practice, you can also practice Octet Rule practice problems.