In the sulfate ion (SO_4^(2-)), how many electrons are available for bonding?

1 Answer
anor277
Dec 3, 2016

There are 5xx6+2=32 "valence electrons", distributed around 5 centres. 12 electrons are formally involved in bonding.

Explanation:

A typical valence bond representation of the "sulfate dianion" is as ""^(-)O_2S(=O)_2 (this derives from the parent sulfuric acid, (HO)_2S(=O)_2). Around the sulfur centre there are 6 valence electrons, participating in single or multiple "sulfur-oxygen" bonds.

What is the geometry around sulfur?

A representation of (HO)_2""S^(2+)(O^-)_2 is also feasible, but the sulfur oxygen double bonds are usually depicted.

Note that the electron count was simply obtained by the operation 5xx6+2=32 "valence electrons". Why did I add an additional 2 electrons?

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