ABSTRACT
The octet theory involves so many considerations that it was thought desirable to group a number of them together, with subheadings for convenience of reference. The octet theory indicates that each carbon atom of a molecule of an organic substance shares all 4 pairs of electrons with adjacent atoms, thus completing its octet. For such substances a pair of electrons held in common corresponds to the bond in the ordinary valence theory. The octet theory does not assign definite valences to atoms, except in the case of the maximum positive valence, representing the number of outer electrons in the shell, which is a definite conception, as is likewise the maximum negative valence representing the number of electrons an atom may take up to become stable like the inert gases. The octet theory indicates that compounds with the same number of atoms and electrons may have the same electronic arrangement.
