Determine the Lewis Dot Structure for the NH₃ compound.

• A.
• B.
• C.
• D.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the total number of valence electrons in the NH3 molecule. Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons, and each hydrogen (H) has 1 valence electron. Therefore, NH3 has a total of 5 + 3(1) = 8 valence electrons.
2. Determine the central atom. In NH3, nitrogen is the central atom because it is less electronegative than hydrogen and can form multiple bonds.
3. Place the hydrogen atoms around the nitrogen atom. Hydrogen can only form one bond, so each hydrogen will be connected to nitrogen with a single bond.
4. Distribute the remaining valence electrons to satisfy the octet rule for nitrogen. After forming three N-H bonds, nitrogen will have 6 electrons around it. Place the remaining 2 electrons as a lone pair on nitrogen to complete its octet.
5. Verify the structure by counting the electrons around each atom. Ensure that nitrogen has 8 electrons (including the lone pair and shared electrons in bonds) and each hydrogen has 2 electrons (shared in the bond with nitrogen).