The Octet Rule states that atoms try to have eight electrons in their outer shell for stability. Gilbert Lewis visualized this concept and Irving Langmuir popularized the term. Exceptions exist, and some atoms can have more than eight electrons.
The Octet Rule is a basic chemical rule that allows for easy memorization of certain atomic properties. According to this helpful rule of thumb, many if not most atoms will try to lose or gain electrons to have a total of eight in their outer shell. Scientists have found that an atom is most stable with eight electrons in the outer layer, and atoms appear to be trying to move towards this equilibrium.
The popularity of the octet rule is generally attributed to Gilbert Lewis, a scientist and professor born in Massachusetts in the early 20th century. While teaching at Harvard University in the 20th, Lewis drew on his own research and that of a contemporary German chemist, Richard Albegg, to create a model for the octet rule. The idea had been around for some time, although Lewis was the first to visualize the concept, theorizing that atoms have a concentric cubic structure that has eight corners, thus creating the desire for eight electrons. The term octet rule was popularized by another chemist working on the same concept, an American scientist named Irving Langmuir.
The stability and reactivity of an atom is usually related to the configuration of its electrons. Noble gases, such as neon, argon, krypton and xenon, tend to have eight electrons on the outer energy layer. Helium is a big exception to the octet rule, having only two electrons. When an atom has eight electrons, it is generally considered stable and does not usually react with other elements. Atoms with fewer than eight electrons are often much more reactive and will join or bond with other atoms to try and reach the octet level.
Puzzled chemists and students are quick to point out that the octet rule shouldn’t be considered a rule at all, since there are many exceptions to behavior. This is not surprising; since elements are so widely variable in behavior in other cases, it would be extremely unusual for everyone to subscribe to this interesting rule. Hydrogen, for example, has only one electron, which prevents it from having enough spaces for seven more electrons to attach from other atoms. Beryllium and boron have only two and three electrons, respectively, and likewise could never reach a full octet.
Some atoms, like sulfur, can actually have more than eight electrons on the outer layer. Sulfur has six electrons, but normally only two are available for binding. Sometimes, an energy absorption process occurs, causing all six electrons to become excited and available for bonding, making possible a total of 12 electrons on the outer layer.
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