Questions: Sulfur has an atomic number of 16. How many covalent bonds can sulfur form? 4 2 0 1

Solution Steps

Sulfur has an atomic number of 16, which means it has 16 electrons. The electron configuration is \(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^4\). The electrons in the outermost shell (3s and 3p) are the valence electrons, totaling 6.

Sulfur needs 8 electrons to complete its octet. Since it already has 6 valence electrons, it needs 2 more electrons to achieve a full octet.

To gain 2 more electrons, sulfur can form 2 covalent bonds, sharing electrons with other atoms to complete its octet.

Final Answer