Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of the PCl_4^+ ion?

• A. Phosphorus is surrounded by three chlorine atoms and has no lone pairs, with a formal positive charge on phosphorus.
• B. Phosphorus is surrounded by four chlorine atoms and has one lone pair, with a formal positive charge on one chlorine.
• C. Phosphorus is surrounded by five chlorine atoms and has one lone pair, with a formal positive charge on one chlorine.
• D. Phosphorus is surrounded by four chlorine atoms and has no lone pairs, with a formal positive charge on phosphorus.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons for the PCl_4^+ ion. Phosphorus (P) has 5 valence electrons, each chlorine (Cl) has 7 valence electrons, and since there are 4 chlorine atoms, multiply 7 by 4. Then subtract 1 electron due to the positive charge on the ion.
2. Step 2: Draw the skeletal structure with phosphorus as the central atom bonded to four chlorine atoms. Each P–Cl bond represents a pair of shared electrons.
3. Step 3: Distribute the remaining valence electrons as lone pairs on the chlorine atoms to complete their octets. Chlorine atoms typically have three lone pairs each after bonding.
4. Step 4: Check the formal charges on each atom using the formula: \(\text{Formal charge} = \text{Valence electrons} - \text{Nonbonding electrons} - \frac{1}{2} \times \text{Bonding electrons}\). Ensure the sum of formal charges equals the overall charge of the ion (+1).
5. Step 5: Confirm that phosphorus has no lone pairs and is bonded to four chlorine atoms, carrying the positive formal charge, which matches the correct Lewis structure description.