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Learn how to draw Lewis dot structures for molecules and ions using the octet rule and the N - A = S equation. See examples of Lewis structures for CO2, O2, CO, and cyclopentane with explanations and videos.
Lewis structure, also known as Lewis dot structure or electron dot structure, is a simple and straightforward way of representing the outermost electron shell in a chemical species like an atom, ion, or molecule.
To draw the Lewis structure of an atom, write the symbol of the atom and draw dots around it to represent the valence electrons. Note that hydrogen is often shown in both group 1A and group 7A, but it has one valence electron – never seven.
Learning Objectives. Draw the Lewis dot structure of a given molecule or ion. Draw resonance structures of some molecules. Assign formal charge to an atom in a dot structure. Assess the stability of a structure by considering formal charges of atoms. Give examples for molecules and ions that do not follow the octet rule. Lewis Dot Structures.
A Lewis diagram shows how the valence electrons are distributed around the atoms in a molecule. Shared pairs of electrons are drawn as lines between atoms, while lone pairs of electrons are drawn as dots next to atoms.
Lewis structures (also known as Lewis dot structures or electron dot structures) are diagrams that represent the valence electrons of atoms within a molecule. These Lewis symbols and Lewis structures help visualize the valence electrons of atoms and molecules, whether they exist as lone pairs or within bonds.
Lewis Structures. We also use Lewis symbols to indicate the formation of covalent bonds, which are shown in Lewis structures, drawings that describe the bonding in molecules and polyatomic ions. For example, when two chlorine atoms form a chlorine molecule, they share one pair of electrons:
