Question

Carbon tetrachloride was formerly used in fire extinguishers for electrical fires. It is no longer used for this purpose because of the formation of the toxic gas phosgene, Cl2CO. Write the Lewis structures for carbon tetrachloride and phosgene.

a) CCl₄
b) Cl₂CO
c) C₂Cl₄
d) COCl₂

Answer 1

Lewis structures for carbon tetrachloride and phosgene show all atoms achieving octets, with CCl4 featuring single bonds to four chlorines and Cl2CO showing a double bond to oxygen and single bonds to two chlorines.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question requires drawing the Lewis structures for carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and phosgene (Cl2CO). Carbon tetrachloride has a central carbon atom with four chlorine atoms bound to it, each with a single bond, and all atoms have complete octets.

Phosgene has a central carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom and single-bonded to two chlorine atoms, also fulfilling the octet rule for all involved atoms.

• CCl4: Carbon is at the center with four chlorine atoms bound to it, each having three pairs of lone electrons.
• Cl2CO: Carbon is in the center, double-bonded to an oxygen atom with two pairs of lone electrons, and single-bonded to two chlorine atoms, each with three pairs of lone electrons.