Table of contents

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 statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of the neutral compound BCl2H?

Chlorine is the central atom, bonded to two boron atoms and one hydrogen atom.

Boron is the central atom, bonded to two chlorine atoms and one hydrogen atom, with one lone pair on boron.

Hydrogen is the central atom, bonded to two chlorine atoms and one boron atom.

Boron is the central atom, bonded to two chlorine atoms and one hydrogen atom, with no lone pairs on boron.

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Verified step by step guidance

Identify the central atom in the molecule BCl2H by considering the typical bonding patterns and electronegativities of the atoms involved. Generally, the least electronegative atom (excluding hydrogen) is the central atom.

Recognize that hydrogen can only form one bond and is never the central atom in such molecules, so hydrogen cannot be the central atom in BCl2H.

Consider boron and chlorine: chlorine is more electronegative and typically forms one bond with three lone pairs, so chlorine atoms are usually terminal atoms.

Determine that boron, being less electronegative and capable of forming three bonds, is the central atom bonded to two chlorine atoms and one hydrogen atom.

Recall that boron often forms compounds where it has an incomplete octet and typically has no lone pairs in such structures, so the Lewis structure of BCl2H has boron as the central atom bonded to two chlorines and one hydrogen, with no lone pairs on boron.