Which of the following is the best Lewis dot symbol for iodine (I)?

• A. I with five dots around the symbol
• B. I with seven dots around the symbol
• C. I with six dots around the symbol
• D. I with eight dots around the symbol

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that the Lewis dot symbol represents the valence electrons of an atom as dots placed around the element's symbol.
2. Determine the group number of iodine (I) in the periodic table. Iodine is in Group 17 (the halogens), which means it has 7 valence electrons.
3. Since iodine has 7 valence electrons, the Lewis dot symbol should have 7 dots around the symbol 'I'.
4. Arrange the 7 dots around the symbol to represent the electrons, typically placing one dot on each side before pairing any dots, following the octet rule convention.
5. Compare the options given and select the one with 7 dots around the iodine symbol as the best Lewis dot symbol.