Phosphorus wants to gain three electrons to have 8 valence electrons.
Phosphorus wants to gain three electrons to have 8 valence electrons.
It can do both. It gains electrons in Phosphene, loses electrons in Phosphate.
Phosphorus will gain 3 electrons to form an ion with a 3- charge (P3-). This is because phosphorus has 5 valence electrons and needs to achieve a stable electron configuration like a noble gas. By gaining 3 electrons, phosphorus can achieve the electron configuration of argon.
Phosphorus, with 5 valence electrons, needs to gain 3 electrons to have a full set of 8 valence electrons. This would allow it to achieve a stable octet configuration, resembling the noble gas configuration of argon.
Short answer:It will have to gain three electrons to obtain a stable octet in its valence shell.The answer if you're actually looking to understand:Since the Atomic Number of Phosphorus is 15, that means that in its stable state it has 15 electrons. The first orbital will thus hold 2 electrons and the second will hold 8, both at the maximum capacity. That is a total of 10 electrons. As mentioned before, Phosphorus has 15 electrons, and so it has 5 electrons in its valence shell. The capacity of the third orbital is 8 electrons. Therefore, in order to fill the valence, Phosphorus would either have to lose its five valence electrons or pick up three. Since it will preferentially pick up the three before losing five, it will thus have to gain three electrons. (If you're looking to understand why it will pick up three rather than lose five, look up "ionization energy" and "electron affinity"
Phosphorus can gain up to three electrons to achieve a full outer shell and form the phosphide ion (P3-), or lose up to three electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration and form the phosphorus cation (P3+).
It loses 2 electrons to obtain the argon configuration of 8 valence electrons.
Sulfur has 6 valence electrons. To achieve 8 valence electrons, sulfur must gain 2 electrons to fill its outer shell and satisfy the octet rule.
It will lose 2 electrons.
The optimum number of electrons in the outermost valence shell for phosphorus atoms is eight, known as an octet. Unbonded phosphorus atoms have 5 valence electrons and undergo chemical bonding in order to gain the other 3, either by covalent bonding or by ionic bonding.
Sulfur must gain two electrons.
Compounds will gain or lose electrons in order to reach a more stable state, ideally a full valence shell.