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 statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of neutral SeH_4?

Selenium is surrounded by four single bonds to hydrogen and has one lone pair.

Selenium is surrounded by four single bonds to hydrogen and has no lone pairs.

Selenium is surrounded by four single bonds to hydrogen and has two lone pairs.

Selenium forms double bonds with two hydrogens and has two lone pairs.

Previous problemNext problem

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons for the molecule SeH_4. Selenium (Se) is in group 16, so it has 6 valence electrons, and each hydrogen (H) has 1 valence electron. Calculate the total as $6 + 4 \times 1 = 10$ valence electrons.

Step 2: Draw the skeletal structure with selenium as the central atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms. Each Se-H bond represents a pair of shared electrons (2 electrons per bond).

Step 3: Assign electrons to the bonds first. Since there are four Se-H bonds, that accounts for $4 \times 2 = 8$ electrons used.

Step 4: Distribute the remaining electrons (total valence electrons minus bonding electrons) as lone pairs on the central atom. Here, $10 - 8 = 2$ electrons remain, which form one lone pair on selenium.

Step 5: Confirm that selenium follows the octet rule by counting its bonding and lone pair electrons. Selenium has 4 bonds (8 electrons) plus 1 lone pair (2 electrons), totaling 10 electrons, which is acceptable for elements in period 4 and beyond due to their ability to expand the octet.