Question

1. This Lewis dot structure for sulfur trioxide is correct.

A. True

B. False

Please explain. Thank you!

Answer 1

2. This Lewis dot structure for sulfur trioxide is valid although it violates the octet rule.

Answer 2

I think the first one is false and the second one is true.

Answer 3

This will really depend on what your teacher/course wants, because how the valency of sulpur trioxide should be drawn is still debated. Nevertheless, some accept the second (so3b.jpg) due to it's simplicity, but note that (secretly) it is actually 1 double and 2 single bond, with resonance. See: http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/29101/why-is-the-bond-order-in-the-so%E2%82%83-molecule-1-33-and-not-2

Nevertheless, the first one (so3.jpg), while a valid resonance structure, it is not stable as it has formal charge on the atoms, which tends to reduce it's stability. See: https://socratic.org/questions/what-are-all-resonance-structures-for-so3