SO3 is a ___ molecule that contains ___ bonds.
SO3 is a triatomic molecule that contains three bonds. To determine the type of bond in an SO3 molecule, we need to determine the Lewis dot structure for SO3 and then look at the arrangement of its atoms and electrons.
To draw the Lewis dot structure for SO3, we first need to determine the total number of valence electrons. The sulfur atom (S) has 6 valence electrons, while each oxygen atom (O) has 6 valence electrons. So, for SO3, we have a total of 6 + (3 × 6) = 24 valence electrons.
Next, we place the atoms in the structure and connect them with single bonds. In the case of SO3, we place the sulfur atom in the center and the three oxygen atoms around it. Each oxygen atom forms a single bond with the sulfur atom, resulting in three sigma bonds.
Now, we need to distribute the remaining valence electrons as lone pairs to satisfy the octet rule for each atom. Since sulfur is in Group 6A, it can have up to 6 valence electrons. However, in this case, sulfur has only 4 valence electrons (from the bonds with oxygen). Therefore, the remaining 2 valence electrons are placed as a lone pair on sulfur.
The Lewis dot structure for SO3 is:
O
╱ ╲
O ╱ ╲ O
╲ ╱
S
Since there are three sigma bonds in the molecule, SO3 contains three bonds.
In summary, SO3 is a triatomic molecule that contains three bonds.