Use the electronegativity and valence electron information in the table to answer the question.
Element Valence Electrons Electronegativity
Hydrogen 1 2.2
Carbon 4 2.55
Oxygen 6 3.44
Chemical weathering over hundreds of thousands of years formed modern caves. One form of chemical weathering occurs when carbon dioxide reacts with water to produce carbonic acid ( H2CO3
). How many bonds formed in H2CO3
?
(1 point)
Responses
five
five
eight
eight
six
six
three
The correct answer is six bonds.
In H2CO3, hydrogen (H) has 1 valence electron and carbon (C) has 4 valence electrons. Oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons.
To determine the number of bonds in H2CO3, we need to calculate the total number of valence electrons.
H2CO3 has 2 hydrogen atoms, 1 carbon atom, and 3 oxygen atoms.
Number of valence electrons in hydrogen (H) = 2 x 1 = 2
Number of valence electrons in carbon (C) = 1 x 4 = 4
Number of valence electrons in oxygen (O) = 3 x 6 = 18
Total number of valence electrons in H2CO3 = 2 + 4 + 18 = 24
Each bond consists of 2 electrons.
Therefore, the number of bonds in H2CO3 = total number of valence electrons / 2 = 24 / 2 = 12
However, some of these electrons are used in forming double bonds or electron pairs.
In H2CO3, there are 2 double bonds (oxygen atoms take 2 electrons each) and 2 single bonds (carbon and oxygen atoms take 1 electron each).
Therefore, the number of bonds formed in H2CO3 is 2 double bonds + 2 single bonds = 4 + 2 = 6.