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What is the correct lewis structure for CO2?a) Ab) Bc) Cd) D

What is the correct lewis structure for CO2?a) Ab) Bc) Cd) D-example-1
User Narancs
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Of the options given, the correct one for the Lewis structure of CO₂ is option A.

In the covalent structure of CO₂, each atom will tend to have 8 electrons on its side, in order to comply with the octet rule. In this rule, an atom that has 8 electrons in its valence shell, will gain stability for having a noble gas electronic configuration.

Hence, the correct lewis structure for CO₂ is option A. In this configuration, each atom has 8 electrons on its side and all of them are neutral (the total charge of the molecule is zero). They all achieve the octet rule.

Although in option B all the atoms have 8 electrons (thus complying with the octet rule), in this configuration the oxygen atom on the left has a negative charge (-1) and the oxygen on the right side has a positive charge (+1). The total charge on the molecule is zero (it is neutral). In fact, this is a resonance structure of configuration A.

In option C, the total charge of the molecule is -2, so this is not a stable configuration. The number of electrons on carbon is wrong.

Finally, in option D the oxygen on the right side does not achieve the octet rule (it only has 6 electrons shared), and also the carbon atom has a charge of -2, and the oxygens have charges of -1 (left) and +3 (right), so this is not a stable configuration.

Therefore, the correct lewis structure for CO₂ is option A.

User Mvantellingen
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