Multiple Choice
In the Lewis dot structure of the neutral compound CS_2, how many regions of high electron density (RHEDs) surround the central carbon atom?
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11. Bonding & Molecular Structure
Lewis Dot Structures: Neutral Compounds
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Which of the following best represents the Lewis dot structure for the product formed when sodium reacts with chlorine to form a neutral compound?
A
Na and Cl each with one dot between them, sharing a pair of electrons
B
Na with one dot and Cl with seven dots, not interacting
C
Na surrounded by eight dots and Cl with seven dots
D
Na with no dots and Cl surrounded by eight dots, with Na and Cl adjacent
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the nature of the elements involved: Sodium (Na) is a metal and chlorine (Cl) is a nonmetal. Sodium tends to lose one electron to achieve a stable electron configuration, while chlorine tends to gain one electron to complete its octet.
Recall that in ionic bonding, electrons are transferred rather than shared. Sodium will lose its one valence electron, becoming a Na⁺ ion with no dots (no valence electrons), and chlorine will gain that electron, becoming a Cl⁻ ion with eight valence electrons (represented as eight dots around Cl).
Draw the Lewis dot structure for the product by showing Na with no dots (indicating it has lost its valence electron) and Cl with eight dots around it (indicating a full octet), placing Na and Cl adjacent to each other to represent the ionic bond formed by electrostatic attraction.
Understand that the other options involving shared dots or incomplete octets do not represent the ionic nature of the compound formed between sodium and chlorine.
Conclude that the correct Lewis structure for the neutral compound formed (NaCl) is Na with no dots and Cl surrounded by eight dots, placed next to each other to indicate the ionic bond.
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