Question

Draw the lewis structure for the following molecules ions

NO2 , HOOH , HNO3 , N2O , H2SO4

Answer 1

To draw the Lewis structures of molecules ( electron dot structures) follow the following steps:-

1. Calculate the total no. of valence electrons in the molecule by adding the individual valence valence electrons of the atoms in the molecule.
2. Draw the skeletal structures of the molecule by joining the atoms by straight lines representing the bonds between them. Place the lowest electronegative atom as the central atom. You can guess the least electronegative atom from the periodic table and observing the trends in periodic table. Usually electronegativity decrease down the group and increases from left to right.
3. Calculate the no. Of electrons in the lone pairs of the molecule by simply subtracting the twice the number of bonds from the valence electrons.
4. Distribute the electrons in the lone pairs by following the octet rule.

The Lewis structures of the molecules in the given question are drawn below:

Note that while drawing Lewis structures, try to fulfill the octet of each atom using octet rule.

Also in the Lewis structures of H2SO4, the Sulphur atom forms double bonds with single Oxygen atoms because it reduces the formal charge in the atom.