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 neutral NBr3?
A
Nitrogen is at the center with three single bonds to bromine atoms and one lone pair on nitrogen.
B
Nitrogen is at the center with three double bonds to bromine atoms and no lone pairs on nitrogen.
C
Bromine is at the center with three single bonds to nitrogen atoms and no lone pairs on bromine.
D
Nitrogen is at the center with three single bonds to bromine atoms and no lone pairs on nitrogen.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Identify the central atom in NBr\_3. Generally, the less electronegative atom is placed at the center. Between nitrogen and bromine, nitrogen is less electronegative, so nitrogen will be the central atom.
Step 2: Determine the total number of valence electrons. Nitrogen has 5 valence electrons, and each bromine has 7 valence electrons. Since there are three bromine atoms, total valence electrons = 5 + 3 \times 7 = 26 electrons.
Step 3: Draw single bonds between the central nitrogen atom and each bromine atom. Each single bond represents 2 electrons, so 3 bonds use 6 electrons, leaving 20 electrons to be distributed as lone pairs.
Step 4: Complete the octets of the bromine atoms by placing lone pairs around each bromine. Each bromine needs 6 more electrons (3 lone pairs) to complete its octet, using 18 electrons in total.
Step 5: Place the remaining electrons on the nitrogen atom as lone pairs. After bonding and completing bromine octets, nitrogen will have one lone pair to complete its octet, confirming the Lewis structure with nitrogen at the center, three single bonds to bromine atoms, and one lone pair on nitrogen.