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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

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following best represents the Lewis dot structure for a neutral molecule of hydrogen chloride (HCl)?

H : Cl with four lone pairs on Cl

H : Cl with three lone pairs on Cl

H : Cl with no lone pairs on Cl

H : Cl with two lone pairs on Cl

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Verified step by step guidance

Recall that a Lewis dot structure represents the valence electrons of atoms in a molecule, showing bonding pairs as shared electrons and lone pairs as non-bonding electrons.

Determine the total number of valence electrons for the molecule. Hydrogen (H) has 1 valence electron, and chlorine (Cl) has 7 valence electrons, so the total is 8 valence electrons.

Draw a single bond between H and Cl, which accounts for 2 electrons (one bonding pair). This leaves 6 electrons to be placed as lone pairs on Cl.

Distribute the remaining 6 electrons as three lone pairs on the chlorine atom, since hydrogen can only accommodate 2 electrons total (its duet).

Verify that each atom has a full valence shell: hydrogen has 2 electrons (duet rule), and chlorine has 8 electrons (octet rule) including bonding and lone pairs.