1. Determine the number of valence electrons for each atom:
* Sulfur (S): Group 16 (VIA), so it has 6 valence electrons.
* Oxygen (O): Group 16 (VIA), so it has 6 valence electrons.
2. Calculate the total valence electrons:
* Sulfur: 6 electrons
* Oxygen (x4): 6 electrons/atom * 4 atoms = 24 electrons
* Charge: +2 electrons (since the ion has a -2 charge)
* Total: 6 + 24 + 2 = 32 electrons
3. Determine the number of bonding electrons:
* Sulfur needs 8 electrons for a full octet: It contributes 6 valence electrons, so it needs 2 more.
* Each oxygen needs 8 electrons for a full octet: It contributes 6 valence electrons, so it needs 2 more.
* Total bonding electrons: 2 (for S) + 2 (for each O) * 4 (O atoms) = 10 electrons
Therefore, there are 10 electrons available for bonding in the sulfate ion (SO₄²⁻).
