Table of contents

1. Intro to General Chemistry3h 48m
2. Atoms & Elements4h 16m
3. Chemical Reactions4h 10m
4. BONUS: Lab Techniques and Procedures1h 38m
5. BONUS: Mathematical Operations and Functions48m
6. Chemical Quantities & Aqueous Reactions3h 53m
7. Gases3h 49m
8. Thermochemistry2h 37m
9. Quantum Mechanics2h 58m
10. Periodic Properties of the Elements3h 9m
11. Bonding & Molecular Structure3h 29m
12. Molecular Shapes & Valence Bond Theory1h 57m
13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces2h 23m
14. Solutions3h 1m
15. Chemical Kinetics2h 53m
16. Chemical Equilibrium2h 29m
17. Acid and Base Equilibrium5h 1m
18. Aqueous Equilibrium4h 47m
19. Chemical Thermodynamics1h 50m
20. Electrochemistry2h 42m
21. Nuclear Chemistry2h 36m
22. Organic Chemistry5h 7m
23. Chemistry of the Nonmetals2h 39m
24. Transition Metals and Coordination Compounds3h 16m

11. Bonding & Molecular Structure

Lewis Dot Structures: Neutral Compounds

General Chemistry

11. Bonding & Molecular Structure

Lewis Dot Structures: Neutral Compounds

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of the neutral compound CH3NO2 (nitromethane)?

The nitrogen atom is bonded to two oxygen atoms, one via a double bond and one via a single bond, with a formal charge of +1 on nitrogen and -1 on one oxygen.

The nitrogen atom is bonded to one oxygen atom via a double bond and to the carbon atom via a triple bond.

The carbon atom is directly bonded to both oxygen atoms, with nitrogen attached only to carbon.

The nitrogen atom is bonded to two oxygen atoms, both via single bonds, with no formal charges on any atom.

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Verified step by step guidance

Identify the total number of valence electrons available for the molecule CH3NO2 by summing the valence electrons of each atom: carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O).

Determine the skeletal structure of nitromethane, where the carbon atom is bonded to three hydrogens and the nitrogen atom, and the nitrogen atom is bonded to two oxygen atoms.

Draw single bonds between the atoms according to the skeletal structure, then distribute the remaining valence electrons to satisfy the octet rule for each atom, starting with the outer atoms (hydrogens, oxygens) and then the central atoms (carbon, nitrogen).

Adjust the bonding by introducing double bonds if necessary to complete octets, especially between nitrogen and oxygen atoms, and calculate formal charges on nitrogen and oxygen atoms to find the most stable Lewis structure.

Compare the formal charges and bonding patterns to the given options, noting that the correct Lewis structure has nitrogen bonded to two oxygens (one with a double bond and one with a single bond), with a formal charge of +1 on nitrogen and -1 on one oxygen.