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Which of the following situations should be avoided in Lewis structures?

a) Violation of the octet rule
b) Presence of lone pairs on hydrogen atoms
c) Incorrect formal charges
d) All of the above

User Tekumara
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1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

In Lewis structures, we must avoid the violation of the octet rule, lone pairs on hydrogen atoms, and incorrect formal charges to accurately represent molecular structures. Thus option D is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

When drawing Lewis structures, certain situations should be avoided so that the most accurate representation of a molecule is achieved. These situations include:

a) Violation of the octet rule, as a stable molecule usually has eight electrons in its valence shell;

b) Presence of lone pairs on hydrogen atoms, since hydrogen can only accommodate two electrons; and

c) Incorrect formal charges, as the most preferable Lewis structures have formal charges that are as close to zero as possible or are distributed with negative formal charges on the more electronegative atoms.

All the above options must be avoided to draw correct Lewis structures. When multiple structures are feasible, the one with the smallest and least nonzero formal charges, and which follows the octet rule (except in the cases of exceptions), is typically the most accurate.

User Shufler
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