Yes, carbon dioxide (CO2) is considered to obey the octet rule.
In CO2, the carbon atom forms double bonds with each of the two oxygen atoms. This means each oxygen atom shares four electrons with the central carbon atom: two electrons originating from the oxygen atom itself and two electrons from the carbon atom.
According to the reference, all four shared electrons contribute to both the carbon and oxygen's octet. This sharing results in:
- The carbon atom having eight electrons in its valence shell (four from each double bond).
- Each oxygen atom also having eight electrons in its valence shell (four from the double bond and four as lone pairs).
Therefore, both the carbon and oxygen atoms in CO2 achieve a stable octet configuration, fulfilling the octet rule.
