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Ch.11 - Chemical Bonding II: Molecular Shapes, VSEPR & MO Theory

Chapter 11, Problem 46b

Determine the geometry about each interior atom in each molecule and sketch the molecule. (Skeletal structure is indicated in parentheses.) b. CH3CO2CH3 (H3CCOOCH3 One O atom attached to 2nd C atom; the other O atom is bonded to the 2nd and 3rd C atom)

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Hey everyone, we're asked to select the correct image that shows the LewiS structure for the following compound and gives the geometry of each internal atom. And we're given our formula right here first let's go ahead and draw out our structure. So looking at our formula, we have a carbon attached to a carbon and we're told that we have one oxygen atom attached to our second carbon atom. Next we're told that we have a second oxygen atom attached to the 2nd and 3rd carbon atom. Now looking at a formula, we can see that we're missing one last carbon. So we can attach that carbon onto our third carbon. Now let's go ahead and add our hydrogen is to our terminal carbons. This would attach three hydrogen onto each carbon and we know that our third carbon has two hydrogen attached to it and to complete the octave for the second carbon, we add a double bond between our carbon and oxygen and we add two lone pairs onto our oxygen. Now for our last oxygen, all we need to do is add two lone pairs. So looking at her answer choices, we can see that A and B have the same structure that we drew out but looking at C and D. Our structures are not the same. So we can eliminate these answer choices since we have the oxygen incorrectly place in the structure. Next let's go ahead and determine our geometries of each internal atom. Starting with our carbon one, we have our central atom A and it has four groups surrounding it with zero lone pairs. So this is going to be tetra hydro looking at our carbon too. We have our central atom A With three groups and zero lone pairs. So this is going to be tribunal planer. Looking at our oxygen, we have our central atom A. And we have two groups and two lone pairs based on our vesper theory. This is going to be bent. Looking at our carbon three and our carbon four, we can see that we have a central atom A and four groups surrounding it with zero lone pairs. So this is going to be tetra hydro. Now comparing our answers to our answer choices, it looks like B is going to be our final answer. So I hope that made sense and let us know if you have any questions.