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Ch. 4 - Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life
Chapter 4, Problem 9b

DRAW IT Draw Lewis dot structures for each hypothetical molecule shown below, using the correct number of valence electrons for each atom. Determine which molecule makes sense because each atom has a complete valence shell and each bond has the correct number of electrons. Explain what makes the other molecule nonsensical, considering the number of bonds each type of atom can make. b.

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1
Identify the elements in the hypothetical molecule and count the valence electrons for each atom. Use the periodic table to determine the number of valence electrons. For example, carbon (C) has 4 valence electrons, oxygen (O) has 6, and hydrogen (H) has 1.
Draw the Lewis dot structure by placing dots around each atom representing its valence electrons. Start by connecting the atoms with single bonds (a pair of electrons), and then add additional electrons around each atom to complete their octets (8 electrons for most atoms, 2 for hydrogen).
Check if all atoms have a complete valence shell. For main group elements, hydrogen should have 2 electrons, and other atoms like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine should have 8 electrons in their valence shell.
Determine the correctness of the molecule by ensuring that each bond in the molecule has the correct number of electrons. A single bond should have 2 electrons, a double bond 4 electrons, and a triple bond 6 electrons.
Explain what makes the other molecule nonsensical by identifying any atoms that do not follow the octet rule or have an incorrect number of bonds. For example, if a carbon atom forms 5 bonds, this is incorrect as carbon can only form a maximum of 4 bonds.

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