Determine the Lewis Dot Structure for hydrocyanic acid:HCN
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Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the total number of valence electrons in the molecule. Hydrogen (H) has 1 valence electron, carbon (C) has 4, and nitrogen (N) has 5, giving a total of 10 valence electrons.
Determine the central atom. In HCN, carbon is the central atom because it can form more bonds compared to hydrogen and nitrogen.
Arrange the atoms with carbon in the center, hydrogen on one side, and nitrogen on the other. Connect hydrogen to carbon with a single bond and carbon to nitrogen with a triple bond.
Distribute the remaining valence electrons to satisfy the octet rule. Hydrogen is satisfied with 2 electrons, carbon with 8, and nitrogen with 8.
Verify the structure by counting the electrons around each atom to ensure that the total number of valence electrons used equals the number calculated in step 1, and that each atom satisfies the octet rule (except hydrogen, which follows the duet rule).