What is the best way to draw Lewis dot structures?
One method of drawing Lewis structures is to use the following steps. This is difficult to explain completely here without the use of drawings or pictures. 1. Decide how the atoms are bonded. The atom that there is the fewest of is the one in the center of the molecule. For example, in ammonia, NH3, the nitrogen is in the center and the hydrogens surround the nitrogen. 2. Count all valence electrons. In ammonia, NH3, nitrogen has five valence electrons (Group VA) and each hydrogen atom has one valence electron, giving a total of eight valence electrons in NH3. 3. Place two electrons in each bond. Ammonia, NH3, has three bonds because each of the three hydrogen atoms is bonded to nitrogen. The three bonds use up six valence electrons (two electrons per bond). 4. Complete the octets of the atoms that are attached to the central atom by adding the electrons in pairs. However, hydrogen does not have an octet because its valence shell is filled when it has only two electrons. 5. If not all
