A chemical reaction produces a molecule in which all of the atoms have a stable configuration. Which molecule could be the product of the reaction?

Question

(1 point)
Responses

SiO5
cap s i cap o sub 5

MgBr2
cap m g cap b r sub 2

KCl2
cap k cap c l sub 2

PH4

Answer 1

To determine which molecule has a stable configuration, we need to consider the stability of the atoms involved typically represented by the octet rule for main group elements.

1. SiO5 - Silicon typically forms bonds that allow it to have 4 bonds (not stable with 5 oxygens).

2. MgBr2 - Magnesium can give up 2 electrons to form Mg2+, and each bromine atom can gain 1 electron to form Br-. This configuration is stable.

3. KCl2 - Potassium typically forms K+, while chlorine tends to form Cl-. KCl is stable, but KCl2 is not typical because potassium can only form one bond, making this configuration unstable.

4. PH4 - Phosphorus can form more than 4 bonds, but in this case, P bonded to 4 hydrogens does not achieve a stable octet configuration (only 8 electrons).

Based on the analysis, the most stable configuration in chemical terms is represented by MgBr2.

So, the correct answer is: MgBr2