Final answer:
To find the number of bonding electrons, calculate the total valence electrons, write the Lewis structure, and count the number of bonding pairs represented as bonds in the structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Steps to Find the Number of Bonding Electrons
To find the number of bonding electrons in a molecule or ion, follow these steps:
- Determine the total number of valence electrons in the molecule or ion by adding the valence electrons from each atom using the periodic table. Include the correction for the charge if dealing with a polyatomic ion.
- Write the Lewis structure of the molecule or polyatomic ion, arranging the atoms in a skeleton and connecting them with single bonds.
- Count the number of bonds (single, double, or triple) in the Lewis structure. Each bond represents a pair of bonding electrons.
For example, in the molecule HCN, we calculate the valence electrons as (1 for H) + (4 for C) + (5 for N) giving us a total of 10 valence electrons. In the Lewis structure, we then arrange these electrons to fulfill the octet rule for carbon and nitrogen and the duet rule for hydrogen, counting the pairs of electrons forming bonds to determine the number of bonding electrons.