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LIVE LAB 09 • CHEMICAL BONDING
Build Lewis dot structures step by step across molecules and ions while tracking valence electrons, formal charge, resonance, geometry and σ/π bonding.
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COMPLETE CONCEPT GUIDE
A Lewis structure accounts for valence electrons as bonds and lone pairs. Start with the electron budget, then use formal charge and chemically reasonable bonding to compare possible drawings.
Add each atom’s valence electrons, add electrons for negative charge and subtract them for positive charge. Connect a plausible skeleton, complete terminal-atom shells, and distribute the remaining electrons while respecting the total.
Formal charge = valence electrons − nonbonding electrons − half the bonding electrons. The formal charges must sum to the species’ overall charge. Formal charge is an electron-bookkeeping convention, not a direct measurement of partial charge.
If several electron arrangements fit the same atomic skeleton, consider resonance. Hydrogen follows a duet; electron-deficient and odd-electron species need special care. A plausible drawing must satisfy more than a mechanical octet count.
LEWIS STRUCTURES FAQ
CO₃²⁻ has 4 from carbon, 18 from the three oxygen atoms and 2 for its negative charge, giving 24 valence electrons in total.
It identifies bonds and lone pairs that help determine electron domains. Use a geometry model such as VSEPR to connect those domains with the three-dimensional shape.
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