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

Previous problemNext problem

Struggling with General Chemistry?

Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the Lewis dot structure of neutral calcium chloride (CaCl_2)?

Ca atom with 8 dots, each Cl atom with 8 dots, and no charges shown.

Ca atom with 2 dots, each Cl atom with 7 dots, and all atoms neutral.

Ca atom with no dots, each Cl atom with 8 dots (full octet), and Ca^2+ ion bonded to two Cl^- ions.

Ca atom with 2 dots, each Cl atom with 8 dots, and Ca bonded to only one Cl atom.

Previous problemNext problem

Verified step by step guidance

Recall that calcium (Ca) is an alkaline earth metal in Group 2 of the periodic table, which means it tends to lose two electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration.

Understand that chlorine (Cl) is a halogen in Group 17, which tends to gain one electron to complete its octet, resulting in a full set of 8 valence electrons represented as dots around the Cl atom.

Recognize that in calcium chloride (CaCl_2), calcium loses two electrons to form a Ca^{2+} ion, and each chlorine atom gains one electron to form two Cl^{-} ions, each with a full octet of 8 dots.

Draw the Lewis structure showing the Ca^{2+} ion without any dots (since it has lost its valence electrons) and two Cl^{-} ions each surrounded by 8 dots representing their full octet, indicating ionic bonding between Ca^{2+} and two Cl^{-} ions.

Note that no dots should be shown on the Ca atom in the Lewis structure because it has lost its valence electrons, and the charges on the ions should be indicated to reflect the ionic nature of the compound.