What is the molecular shape of ethylene (C2H4)? And what is the number of electrons that the carbons share between them?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene
The molecular shape of ethylene (C2H4) is known as a planar structure that resembles a square. This shape is called a "planar" or "flat" shape because all of the atoms lie in the same plane. In ethylene, the carbon atoms are connected by a double bond, which consists of one sigma bond and one pi bond.
To determine the number of electrons shared between the carbon atoms in ethylene, we first need to find the valence electron count for each carbon atom. Carbon is in group 14 of the periodic table, so it has 4 valence electrons. Since there are two carbon atoms in ethylene, the total valence electron count for both carbon atoms is 4 x 2 = 8 electrons.
In a double bond, two pairs of electrons are shared between the two carbon atoms. So, the number of electrons shared between the carbon atoms in ethylene is 2 x 2 = 4 electrons.
To get this answer, you can follow these steps:
1. Identify the molecular formula of ethylene, which is C2H4.
2. Determine the molecular structure of ethylene, which is planar.
3. Find the valence electron count for each carbon atom in ethylene (4 electrons).
4. Multiply the number of carbon atoms by the valence electron count to get the total valence electron count (8 electrons).
5. Determine the number of shared electrons in the double bond by realizing that two pairs of electrons are shared (4 electrons).