Final answer:
From Lewis structures, one can determine molecular polarity, bond angles, bond distances, and formal charges. VSEPR theory helps to understand three-dimensional molecular shapes based on Lewis structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristics of a molecule determined from Lewis structures can provide insight into molecular polarity, bond angles, bond distances, and formal charges. To determine if a molecule is polar or nonpolar, its symmetry has to be analyzed in terms of identical bonding and presence or absence of lone pairs of electrons. The Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory complements Lewis structures by indicating how electrons are spatially arranged around the central atom, which leads to understanding the molecule's three-dimensional shape and angles between bonds. Formal charges help identify the most favorable Lewis structure, indicating the hypothetical charge distribution. Lewis structures also highlight violations of the octet rule, such as in odd-electron, electron-deficient, and hypervalent molecules.