Final answer:
Drawing the Lewis structure for nitromethane involves connecting three hydrogens to a central carbon, which is also connected to a nitrogen that has a single bond and a double bond with two oxygens, while minimizing formal charges.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question requires us to explain how to draw a complete Lewis structure for the compound nitromethane, which has the molecular formula CH₃NO₂. In this structure, the carbon atom (C) will be the central atom with three hydrogen atoms (H) bonded to it, resulting in a complete octet around carbon. The nitrogen (N) atom will be singly bonded to the carbon and will have one double bond and one single bond with two oxygen atoms (O), fulfilling the octet rule. Nitrogen will also have one lone pair of electrons. Each oxygen atom will have two lone pairs of electrons. The formal charges on all atoms should be minimized, with the oxygen atom having a single bond to nitrogen carrying a negative formal charge and the nitrogen carrying a positive formal charge due to its three bonds (one single and one double).