Write the Lewis structure for each molecule. a. NF 3 b. HBr c. SBr 2 d. CCl 4

Hey everyone, we're asked to draw an appropriate lewis dot structure for each of the following compounds first. Let's go ahead and start off with a carbon tetra chloride. We want to calculate the total number of valence electrons and we know that carbon is in our group four A And since we have one of carbon, this will give us four valence electrons and chlorine is in our group seven A. And since we have four of chlorine, we're going to multiply seven times four And this will get us to a total of 28 valence electrons. When we add these two values up, we get a total of 32 valence electrons. Now let's go ahead and draw out our lewis. Now carbon is going to be our central atom and this is because it is less electro negative than our chlorine And it is going to be connected to four chlorine. And to complete our 32 valence electrons and chlorine states will have to add three lone pairs onto each chlorine. And this will be our final lewis dot structure. Now moving on to be we have water which is H or a total number of valence electrons. We have two of hydrogen. So we're going to multiply one times two which will get us two valence electrons and oxygen is in our group six A. So this will give us six valence electrons in total, we will have eight valence electrons to draw out to draw our lewis structure, even though hydrogen is less electro negative than oxygen, it cannot be our central atom. So oxygen has to be our central atom and we're going to connect to hydrogen is to our oxygen. And to complete those eight valence electrons and oxygen will add two lone pairs onto our oxygen. Next moving on to see we have two of carbon. So we're going to multiply two times four valence electrons since carbon is in our group four A and this will get us to eight valence electrons looking at hydrogen, We're going to multiply six times one since we have six of hydrogen and we're going to get a total of six valence electrons. When we add these two values up, we have to draw out a total of 14 valence electrons. Now our two carbons are going to be connected to one another. And to complete our structure, each carbon will hold three hydrogen and this is going to be our final lewis dot structure. Now for our last compound, we know that carbon is going to give us four valence electrons, oxygen is going to give us six. And since we have four of hydrogen, we're going to multiply one times four and this will get us to four valence electrons drawing this out. We end up with a total of 14 valence electrons. Now our central atoms here are going to be our carbon and our oxygen which are going to be connected to one another with a single bond. Our carbon is going to hold three hydrogen and oxygen is going to hold one hydrogen to complete our 14 valence electrons and oxygen octet will add two lone pairs onto our oxygen. So this is going to be our final lewis dot structures for our compounds. Now, I hope that made sense and let us know if you have any questions.

Ch.9 - Chemical Bonding I: The Lewis Model

All textbooks

Tro 4th Edition

Ch.9 - Chemical Bonding I: The Lewis Model

Problem 52

Chapter 9, Problem 52

Write the Lewis structure for each molecule. a. NF₃ b. HBr c. SBr₂ d. CCl₄

Verified step by step guidance

Determine the total number of valence electrons for each molecule.

For each molecule, identify the central atom (usually the least electronegative, except for hydrogen).

Arrange the remaining atoms around the central atom and connect them with single bonds.

Distribute the remaining valence electrons to satisfy the octet rule (or duet for hydrogen) for each atom.

If any atom lacks an octet, consider forming double or triple bonds as necessary.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.

Video duration:

Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Lewis Structures

Lewis structures are diagrams that represent the bonding between atoms in a molecule and the lone pairs of electrons that may exist. They use dots to represent valence electrons and lines to represent bonds between atoms. Understanding how to draw Lewis structures is essential for visualizing molecular geometry and predicting the behavior of molecules.

Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom and are crucial in determining how atoms bond with each other. The number of valence electrons influences the molecule's reactivity and the types of bonds it can form. Knowing how to count and distribute valence electrons is key to accurately constructing Lewis structures.

Molecular Geometry

Molecular geometry refers to the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms within a molecule. It is influenced by the number of bonding pairs and lone pairs of electrons around the central atom, which can affect the molecule's polarity and reactivity. Understanding molecular geometry helps in predicting the physical and chemical properties of substances.