Question

If you have used up all the electrons available, and some of your atoms still do not have an octet, how do you draw a stable Lewis dot structure?

A. Share electrons with nearby atoms.
B. Remove excess electrons from the atom.
C. Add more protons to the nucleus.
D. Rearrange the atoms in the molecule.

Answer 1

To draw a stable Lewis dot structure when electrons are exhausted, form multiple bonds by sharing electrons with nearby atoms to ensure all atoms achieve an octet.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you have used up all the electrons available and some atoms still do not have an octet, the best way to draw a stable Lewis dot structure is to share electrons with nearby atoms. This can be done by rearranging the electrons to form multiple bonds (double or triple bonds) if necessary. Specific steps to achieve this include:

• Ensure that all terminal atoms have an octet (or a duet for hydrogen).
• Place any remaining electrons on the central atom.
• If the central atom does not have an octet, use lone pairs from terminal atoms to form multiple bonds with the central atom to achieve an octet.

This approach will not change the number of electrons on the terminal atoms but will allow the formation of double or triple bonds to ensure that all atoms have a complete octet.