help needed to draw lewis structures of hydrogen cyanaide(HCN) and cyanogen(CN)2. I need to show where the electrons are being shared clearly.
H:C:::N:
shared electrons, all upper dots except the ones to the right of N.
:N:::C:C:::N:
shared, all inner upper dots.
thank you for your help and such a speedy response
To draw Lewis structures for molecules like hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and cyanogen (CN)2, here's a step-by-step guide:
1. Count the total number of valence electrons:
- Hydrogen (H) contributes 1 valence electron.
- Carbon (C) contributes 4 valence electrons.
- Nitrogen (N) contributes 5 valence electrons.
- Oxygen (O) contributes 6 valence electrons.
2. Determine the central atom:
In both HCN and (CN)2, the carbon atom (C) is the central atom since it is least electronegative.
3. Connect the atoms:
For HCN, connect the C atom to the H atom with a single bond (C-H), and connect the C atom to the N atom with a triple bond (C≡N).
For (CN)2, connect the two C atoms with a triple bond (C≡C). Each C atom will be bonded to a nitrogen atom with a single bond (C-N).
4. Distribute the remaining electrons:
For both HCN and (CN)2, fill the remaining valence electrons around the atoms to satisfy the octet rule, except for hydrogen, which only needs two electrons.
- HCN: The carbon atom has 4 electrons remaining, and the nitrogen atom has 3 electrons remaining. Place these electrons as lone pairs around the atoms:
H:C≡N:
shared electrons: All upper dots except the ones to the right of N.
- (CN)2: Each carbon atom has 3 electrons remaining, and each nitrogen atom has 5 electrons remaining. Place these electrons as lone pairs around the atoms:
:N::C≡C::N:
shared electrons: All inner upper dots.
Remember to double-check that the total number of valence electrons used corresponds to the sum of the valence electrons of the individual atoms.
Hope this helps!