Multiple Choice
Which of the following is the correct Lewis structure for OSF4, where sulfur (S) is the central atom and all atoms have a formal charge of zero?
11. Bonding & Molecular Structure
Lewis Dot Structures: Neutral Compounds
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What is the correct Lewis structure of water (H₂O)?
A
H-O-H with no lone pairs on oxygen
B
H-O-H with two lone pairs on oxygen
C
H-O-H with one lone pair on oxygen
D
H-O-H with three lone pairs on oxygen
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the total number of valence electrons in the water molecule. Oxygen has 6 valence electrons, and each hydrogen has 1 valence electron, giving a total of 8 valence electrons.
Determine the central atom in the molecule. In H₂O, oxygen is the central atom because it is less electronegative than hydrogen and can form more bonds.
Draw a skeletal structure with the central oxygen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms, represented as H-O-H.
Distribute the remaining valence electrons to satisfy the octet rule for the oxygen atom. After forming two O-H bonds, 4 electrons are used, leaving 4 electrons to be placed as lone pairs on the oxygen atom.
Place two lone pairs of electrons on the oxygen atom to complete its octet, resulting in the correct Lewis structure: H-O-H with two lone pairs on oxygen.
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