 Custom Search Lewis Dot of the Chlorate Ion ClO3- Chlorine does not follow the octet rule. It will hold more than 8 electrons. Chlorine having valence electrons in the 3rd energy level, will also have access to the 3d sublevel, thus allowing for more than 8 electrons. Elements in the first 2 periods of the Periodic Table do not have access to the d sublevel and must adhere to the octet (or duet H and He) rule. The chlorate ion cannot be satisfactorily represented by just one Lewis Dots structure. All the bonds are the same length and must be thought of as a hybrid of multiple resonance structures. from http://treefrog.fullerton.edu/chem/LS/ClO3neg1LS.html |
