Lewis dot formulae of HOCl, BF3, NH4
HOCl:
Well, HOCl is no joke! It stands for Hypochlorous Acid. The Lewis dot structure looks like a little superhero cape hanging off the chemical formula. We have the hydrogen (H) with one dot, the oxygen (O) with six dots, and the chlorine (Cl) with one dot. Together, they fight away the bad guys!
BF3:
Ah, BF3, the three musketeers of the chemical world. Boron (B) takes the center stage and is surrounded by three fluorine (F) atoms. Just like a circus balancing act, each fluorine has three dots, while boron has three dots as well. They're a tight-knit team, ready to perform amazing chemical tricks!
NH4:
Ah, NH4, a dance party with nitrogen (N) as the DJ and four hydrogen (H) atoms as the dancers. Nitrogen boogies in the center with three dots, while each hydrogen dancer shakes it off with one dot. They form a groovy circle, showing off their moves on the dance floor of chemistry!
Sure! Here are the Lewis dot formulas for HOCl (hypochlorous acid), BF3 (boron trifluoride), and NH4 (ammonium ion):
1. HOCl (Hypochlorous acid)
To draw the Lewis dot formula for HOCl, follow these steps:
Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons.
H (hydrogen) has 1 valence electron.
O (oxygen) has 6 valence electrons.
Cl (chlorine) has 7 valence electrons.
Add them up: 1 + 6 + 7 = 14 valence electrons.
Step 2: Place the least electronegative atom at the center.
In this case, it's Cl (chlorine).
Step 3: Connect the central atom with surrounding atoms using single bonds.
Connect Cl (chlorine) with H (hydrogen) and O (oxygen) using single bonds.
Step 4: Distribute the remaining electrons to satisfy the octet rule.
Start by placing the lone (non-bonding) electron pairs around the atoms that need them most.
Since hydrogen only needs 2 electrons to satisfy the octet rule, place a lone pair of electrons around hydrogen.
Step 5: Check if all the atoms have complete octets (except hydrogen).
If all atoms (except hydrogen) have complete octets and all electrons have been used, you're done.
In this case, Cl (chlorine) has 8 electrons, O (oxygen) has 8 electrons, and H (hydrogen) has 2 electrons.
The Lewis dot formula for HOCl is:
Cl:O:H
|
H
2. BF3 (Boron trifluoride)
To draw the Lewis dot formula for BF3, follow these steps:
Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons.
B (boron) has 3 valence electrons.
F (fluorine) has 7 valence electrons.
Multiply the number of valence electrons for each atom by the number of atoms:
3 + (7 x 3) = 24 valence electrons.
Step 2: Place the least electronegative atom at the center.
In this case, it's B (boron).
Step 3: Connect the central atom with surrounding atoms using single bonds.
Connect B (boron) with each F (fluorine) using single bonds.
Step 4: Distribute the remaining electrons to satisfy the octet rule.
Start by placing the lone (non-bonding) electron pairs around the atoms that need them most.
Since boron only needs 6 electrons to satisfy the octet rule, there are no lone pairs of electrons around boron.
Step 5: Check if all the atoms have complete octets (except hydrogen).
If all atoms (except hydrogen) have complete octets and all electrons have been used, you're done.
In this case, B (boron) has 6 electrons and each F (fluorine) has 8 electrons.
The Lewis dot formula for BF3 is:
F-B-F
|
F
3. NH4 (Ammonium ion)
To draw the Lewis dot formula for NH4 (ammonium ion), follow these steps:
Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons.
N (nitrogen) has 5 valence electrons.
H (hydrogen) has 1 valence electron.
Multiply the number of valence electrons for each atom by the number of atoms:
5 + (1 x 4) = 9 valence electrons.
Step 2: Place the least electronegative atom at the center.
In this case, it's N (nitrogen).
Step 3: Connect the central atom with surrounding atoms using single bonds.
Connect N (nitrogen) with each H (hydrogen) using single bonds.
Step 4: Distribute the remaining electrons to satisfy the octet rule.
Start by placing the lone (non-bonding) electron pairs around the atoms that need them most.
Since nitrogen only needs 8 electrons to satisfy the octet rule, there are no lone pairs of electrons around nitrogen.
Step 5: Check if all the atoms have complete octets (except hydrogen).
If all atoms (except hydrogen) have complete octets and all electrons have been used, you're done.
In this case, N (nitrogen) has 8 electrons and each H (hydrogen) has 2 electrons.
The Lewis dot formula for NH4 is:
H-H
| |
H-N-H
|
H
To determine the Lewis dot formulae of molecules like HOCl, BF3, and NH4, you need to follow some rules:
1. Determine the number of valence electrons for each atom:
- Hydrogen (H) has only 1 valence electron.
- Oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons.
- Chlorine (Cl) has 7 valence electrons.
- Boron (B) has 3 valence electrons.
- Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons.
- Hydrogen (H) in NH4 contributes 1 valence electron each.
2. Calculate the total number of valence electrons for the molecule:
- For HOCl: H + O + Cl = 1 + 6 + 7 = 14 valence electrons.
- For BF3: B + (3 * F) = 3 + (3 * 7) = 24 valence electrons.
- For NH4: N + (4 * H) = 5 + (4 * 1) = 9 valence electrons.
3. Place the atoms around the central atom:
- In HOCl, oxygen (O) is the central atom, and hydrogen (H) and chlorine (Cl) surround it.
- In BF3, boron (B) is the central atom, and three fluorine (F) atoms surround it.
- In NH4, nitrogen (N) is the central atom, and four hydrogen (H) atoms surround it.
4. Connect the atoms with single bonds (represented by lines) and complete octets:
- In HOCl, the central oxygen atom forms a single bond with the hydrogen atom (H-O), and another single bond with the chlorine atom (O-Cl). The oxygen atom has 6 electrons (2 shared + 4 unshared), hydrogen has 2, and chlorine has 8.
- In BF3, the central boron atom forms a single bond with each fluorine atom (B-F), resulting in three single bonds. Each fluorine atom has 8 electrons, and boron has 6.
- In NH4, the central nitrogen atom forms a single bond with each hydrogen atom (N-H), resulting in four single bonds. Each hydrogen atom has 2 electrons, and nitrogen has 8.
5. Check if all atoms have satisfied their octets:
- In HOCl, oxygen and chlorine have satisfied their octets (8 electrons), but hydrogen has only 2 electrons.
- In BF3, each fluorine atom has satisfied its octet (8 electrons), but boron has only 6 electrons.
- In NH4, each hydrogen atom has satisfied its duet (2 electrons), and nitrogen has satisfied its octet (8 electrons).
6. If any atoms haven't satisfied their octets (except for hydrogen), move electrons to form multiple bonds (double or triple bonds). For example, in HOCl, move a lone pair from oxygen to form a double bond with chlorine (O=Cl), satisfying the octet for chlorine.
After following these steps, you should have the Lewis dot formula for each molecule:
HOCl:
H
/
O = Cl
BF3:
F F
| |
B = F
NH4:
H H
| |
H - N = H
|
H