The total number of valence electrons in the molecule P₂O₅ is A) 11. B) 22. C) 23. D) 40. E) 70.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The molecule P₂O₅ is a chemical formula that seems to be incorrectly formatted, but assuming it's meant to represent a molecule containing phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and oxygen (O) with their natural valence electrons, we calculate as follows: Phosphorus (P) has 5 valence electrons, Sulfur (S) has 6 valence electrons, and Oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons. The formula doesn't clearly specify the number of each atom, but if we interpret "₂O₅" as a formatting error and focus on the elements mentioned (P, S, O), the typical valence electrons would be 5 (P) + 6 (S) + 6 (O) = 17 for one of each atom. Without clear numbers of atoms, we can't accurately calculate the total valence electrons based on the provided formula. However, none of the given options correctly reflects the sum for any reasonable interpretation of the formula's intended composition. The closest approach to a logical answer with the given options, assuming a significant misinterpretation of the formula, would be to consider a molecule with a large number of these atoms, but without the exact composition, option D (40) is chosen as a placeholder for the correct calculation cannot be determined from the given formula.

The Total Number of Valence Electrons in the Molecule P2O5

The Total Number of Valence Electrons in the Molecule P₂O₅