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

Previous problemNext problem

Struggling with General Chemistry?

Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of a neutral ICl_3 molecule?

The central iodine atom has two bonding pairs and three lone pairs of electrons.

The central iodine atom has three bonding pairs and two lone pairs of electrons.

The central iodine atom has three bonding pairs and no lone pairs of electrons.

The central iodine atom has three bonding pairs and one lone pair of electrons.

Previous problemNext problem

Verified step by step guidance

Identify the total number of valence electrons in the ICl_3 molecule. Iodine (I) is in group 17 and has 7 valence electrons, and each chlorine (Cl) atom also has 7 valence electrons. Since there are three chlorine atoms, calculate the total valence electrons as $7 + 3 \times 7$.

Determine the central atom, which is iodine (I) in this case, and arrange the three chlorine atoms around it, forming three single bonds. Each bond represents a bonding pair of electrons shared between iodine and chlorine.

Count the electrons used in bonding: each single bond contains 2 electrons, so for three bonds, there are $3 \times 2$ bonding electrons.

Subtract the bonding electrons from the total valence electrons to find the number of remaining electrons, which will be placed as lone pairs on the atoms. Since chlorine atoms typically complete their octet with three lone pairs each, assign lone pairs to chlorine atoms first.

Assign any remaining electrons as lone pairs on the central iodine atom. The number of lone pairs on iodine plus the bonding pairs will help you determine the correct Lewis structure description. For ICl_3, iodine ends up with three bonding pairs and two lone pairs of electrons.