Why do H and He not obey the octet rule?

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Why do H and He not obey the octet rule?

2006-09-16 12:33:44 · 3 answers · asked by Heavy Metal 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)

3 answers

H and He are different from all other elements because they only have 1 and 2 electrons, respectively. That means they only have one energy level, the s orbital, which only has space for two electrons. Every other element has more than just this one energy level, and so to fulfill the octet, must have 8 valence electrons.

2006-09-16 12:48:12 · answer #1 · answered by yofatcat1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋

they only can have 1 valence electron in their outermost shell...while other elements can only have 8 valence electrons

2006-09-16 12:55:35 · answer #2 · answered by Jen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋

What are you talking about?

2006-09-16 12:41:18 · answer #3 · answered by Bluealt 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋