How many dots should be shown in the electron dot (Lewis dot) diagram of a boron (B) atom?

• A. Three
• B. Five
• C. Thirteen
• D. Eight

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the number of valence electrons in a boron (B) atom. Boron is in group 13 of the periodic table, which means it has 3 valence electrons.
2. Recall that the Lewis dot structure represents only the valence electrons of an atom as dots around the element's symbol.
3. Since boron has 3 valence electrons, the Lewis dot diagram will show 3 dots around the symbol 'B'.
4. Each dot represents one valence electron, so the number of dots equals the number of valence electrons.
5. Therefore, the Lewis dot diagram for boron should have exactly three dots.