Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of the neutral compound NO3Cl?
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11. Bonding & Molecular Structure
Lewis Dot Structures: Neutral Compounds
Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of acetic acid (CH3COOH)?
A
The central carbon atom is bonded to three hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
B
Both oxygen atoms in acetic acid are bonded directly to the methyl group.
C
There are no lone pairs present on any oxygen atoms in the structure.
D
The carboxyl group contains a carbon atom double-bonded to one oxygen and single-bonded to another oxygen, which is also bonded to a hydrogen.
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the molecular formula of acetic acid, which is CH3COOH, and recognize that it contains a methyl group (CH3) and a carboxyl group (COOH).
Determine the connectivity of atoms: the central carbon in the carboxyl group is bonded to the methyl group (CH3), one oxygen atom via a double bond, and another oxygen atom via a single bond, which in turn is bonded to a hydrogen atom.
Recall that in Lewis structures, oxygen atoms typically have lone pairs; therefore, each oxygen atom in acetic acid should have lone pairs to satisfy the octet rule.
Analyze the bonding: the methyl carbon is bonded to three hydrogens and one carbon (the carboxyl carbon), while the carboxyl carbon is bonded to one methyl carbon, one double-bonded oxygen, and one single-bonded oxygen that carries a hydrogen.
Conclude that the correct Lewis structure description must include the carboxyl group with a carbon double-bonded to one oxygen and single-bonded to another oxygen bonded to hydrogen, and that oxygen atoms have lone pairs, which invalidates statements denying lone pairs or incorrect bonding.
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