Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of neutral COF_2 (carbonyl fluoride)?
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11. Bonding & Molecular Structure
Lewis Dot Structures: Neutral Compounds
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Which of the following is the correct Lewis dot structure for a neutral molecule of N2?
A
:N–N:
B
:N≡N:
C
:N=N:
D
N–N
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons available for the N₂ molecule. Each nitrogen atom has 5 valence electrons, so for N₂, total valence electrons = 5 × 2 = 10.
Step 2: Draw a skeleton structure connecting the two nitrogen atoms with a single bond. This uses 2 electrons (one pair) out of the total 10.
Step 3: Distribute the remaining electrons around the nitrogen atoms to satisfy the octet rule. Each nitrogen atom should have 8 electrons around it (including bonding and lone pairs).
Step 4: If the octet rule is not satisfied with a single bond, increase the bond order by adding double or triple bonds between the nitrogen atoms. Each additional bond uses 2 more electrons.
Step 5: Confirm that the final structure has 10 electrons total, both nitrogen atoms have complete octets, and the molecule is neutral. The correct Lewis structure for N₂ is the one with a triple bond between the two nitrogen atoms, represented as $\:\mathrm{N}\equiv\mathrm{N}\:$.
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