Question

What are the limitations of Octet Rule?

Answer 1

Octet rule:

• The octet rule states that an atom loses or gains an electron in order to attain a stable electronic configuration.
• It defines the tendency of an atom to have eight electrons in the outermost shell.

Limitations of Octet rule:

• The octet rule is applicable only for atoms in their ground state.
• It does not take account into the number of electrons in an atom.
• It failed to explain the relative stability of molecules.
• The shape of the molecule is not predicted by the octet rule.