Why does PCl5 break the Octet Rule?

[AJ Manzano 3K]

When could the octet rule be broken? In Wednesday's lecture, Dr. Lavelle drew the Lewis structure for phosphorus pentachloride (PCl5), and 5 chlorine atoms were attached to one phosphorus. Why can Phosphorus have 5 bonds instead of 4?

[Timothy_Yueh_4L]

Phosphorus can form an expanded octet with 5 bonds due to the fact that it exists in the 3rd period, giving it access to the d-orbitals associated in the 3rd shell (3d).

[Milena Aragon 2B]

Molecules in the 3rd period and above can access the d-orbitals (which can accommodate 10 more electrons since there are 5 d-orbitals) since their angular momentums are l=2 or more.

[Rami_Z_AbuQubo_2K]

Since P is the least electro-negative, it will be the central element. Considering that anything from group 3 to 7 in the p block has an expanded octet, which includes P, that means that it will break the octet rule.

[ran2000]

This is because phosphorous can utilize the d orbitals and, thus, has an expanded octet.

[Anand Narayan 1G]

This is because Phosphorous is in the 3rd energy level, which means it can access the d-orbitals in order to have an expanded octet and form more than 4 bonds.

[Aleeque Marselian 1A]

Phosphorous, Chlorine, and Sulfur can accommodate more than eight electrons and therefore break the octet rule because they contain a 3d orbital.

[Yixiao Hu 3C]

because it is on the period 3, so it order to have the lowest energy structure, the pcl5 can break the octet rule.

[Jayde Felix 4H]

P is in the third row and can have an expanded octet. Any element in the third row or below can have an expanded octet.