Question

Explain the formation of a chlorine molecule on the basis of electronic theory of valency.

Answer 1

The atomic number of chlorine is 17, so its electronic configuration is 2, 8, 7. A chlorine atom has 7 electrons in its outermost shell and needs 1 more electron to complete its octet and become stable. It gets this electron by sharing with another chlorine atom. So, two chlorine atoms share one electron each to form a chlorine molecule.