Final answer:
The molecular structure of H2 is two hydrogen atoms bonded by a single covalent bond, while for AlCl3 (as Al2Cl6 dimer), each Al atom is coordinated to four Cl atoms with two chlorines bridging with coordinate covalent bonds.
Step-by-step explanation:
Drawing Molecular Structures of H2 and AlCl3
The molecular structure of hydrogen gas (H2) is quite simple; it consists of two hydrogen atoms bonded together through a single covalent bond. For aluminum chloride (AlCl3), the situation is slightly more complex. The structural formula of the Al2Cl6 molecule (the dimeric form of AlCl3 often found in the solid state) shows that each aluminum (Al) atom is coordinated to four chlorine (Cl) atoms. Two chlorines are bridging between the aluminum atoms with coordinate covalent bonds, where the electrons for the bond originate from the chlorine atoms. To draw the structure, follow these steps:
- For H2, simply draw two circles representing the hydrogen atoms, and connect them with a single line which represents the bond.
- For AlCl3, arrange the chlorine atoms around the aluminum atom. Four chlorines are around each aluminum, with two of them being shared, shown as bridges, using arrows to indicate the coordinate bonds.
This visualization helps to understand the molecular geometry and bond associations in both H2 and AlCl3. Remember, these structures reflect a two-dimensional representation of what are three-dimensional molecules.