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Dec 8, 2025

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2 pages

Chemical Bonding Simplified: Lewis Dot Structures

thatweebudontknow

@thatweebudontknow

Lewis Dot Diagrams are visual models that show how atoms... Show more

Unit 4.3 Bonding
Lewis Dot Diagrams/Structures

Lewis Dot Structures are models that...
- represent chemical substances
- show the connectiv

Lewis Dot Diagrams Basics

Lewis Dot Structures help you visualize how atoms share electrons to form chemical bonds. These diagrams show the chemical symbols of atoms, with dots representing valence electrons and lines or dashes representing bonds between atoms.

When drawing Lewis structures, each dash (bond) represents two shared electrons. Dots show unshared electron pairs. For example, in water (H₂O), you'll see H-O-H with the oxygen atom having additional dots representing its unshared electrons.

To create a Lewis structure, you first need to count the total valence electrons in your molecule or ion. For example, in the sulfate ion (SO₄²⁻), sulfur contributes 6 valence electrons, each oxygen contributes 6, and the -2 charge adds 2 more electrons $6 + 6×4 + 2 = 32 total valence electrons$ .

💡 Remember: The total number of valence electrons in your Lewis structure should always be an even number because electrons pair up in bonds and lone pairs!

The basic steps for drawing Lewis structures start with calculating valence electrons and identifying the central atom (usually the least electronegative element, and never hydrogen). For example, in PCl₃, phosphorus is the central atom with chlorine atoms surrounding it.

Completing Lewis Structures

Once you've positioned your atoms correctly, draw single bonds connecting the central atom to outer atoms. Each bond uses two electrons, so subtract these from your total count. For PCl₃, three bonds use six electrons, leaving 20 electrons remaining (26 - 6 = 20).

Next, distribute the remaining electrons as dots around atoms, starting with the most electronegative elements (usually the outer atoms). Your goal is to give each atom a stable electron configuration - typically eight electrons (the "octet rule").

Sometimes molecules need double or triple bonds to achieve stable electron configurations. In these cases, you might need to move electron pairs from lone pairs to form multiple bonds between atoms.

🔑 When multiple valid Lewis structures exist for the same molecule, this is called resonance. Resonance structures show different possible arrangements of electrons while keeping the atoms in the same positions.

Remember that Lewis structures are models with limitations, but they're incredibly useful for predicting molecular shape, polarity, and chemical behavior!

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Chemistry

•

Dec 8, 2025

•

2 pages

Chemical Bonding Simplified: Lewis Dot Structures

thatweebudontknow

@thatweebudontknow

Lewis Dot Diagrams are visual models that show how atoms connect and share electrons in chemical compounds. They help us understand chemical bonding by representing both the shared electron pairs (bonds) and unshared valence electrons in molecules and ions.

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Lewis Dot Diagrams Basics

💡 Remember: The total number of valence electrons in your Lewis structure should always be an even number because electrons pair up in bonds and lone pairs!

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Completing Lewis Structures

Sometimes molecules need double or triple bonds to achieve stable electron configurations. In these cases, you might need to move electron pairs from lone pairs to form multiple bonds between atoms.

🔑 When multiple valid Lewis structures exist for the same molecule, this is called resonance. Resonance structures show different possible arrangements of electrons while keeping the atoms in the same positions.

Remember that Lewis structures are models with limitations, but they're incredibly useful for predicting molecular shape, polarity, and chemical behavior!