Commonly Tested Lewis Structures

We draw Lewis Structures to predict:

-the shape of a molecule.

-the reactivity of a molecule and how it might interact with other molecules.

-the physical properties of a molecule such as boiling point, surface tension, etc.

Drawing the Lewis Structure for ClO2-

Video: Drawing the Lewis Structure for ClO2-

For the ClO2- Lewis structure the total number of valence electrons (found on the periodic table) for the ClO2- molecule. Once we know how many valence electrons there are in ClO2- we can distribute them around the central atom with the goal of filling the outer shells of each atom.

In the Lewis structure for ClO2- we put Chlorine (Cl) at the center of the structure since it is the least electronegative. There are total of 20 valence electrons for the ClO2- Lewis structure. Remember that the negative sign counts as one valence electron.

To show that the ClO2- Lewis structure is an ion with a -1 change we need to put brackets around the structure and put a negative side on the outside of the brackets.


It is helpful if you:

  • Try to draw the ClO2- Lewis structure before watching the video.
  • Watch the video and see if you missed any steps or information.
  • Try structures similar to ClO2- for more practice.

List of Lewis Structures

Acetone BF3 BH4- BrF5 BrO3- C2H2 C2H4 ClO-
CH4 ClO2- ClO2 ClO4- CO CS2 H2O H3O+
HCl HNO3 I3- ICl4- IF5 N2 N3- NH2OH
NH3 NO2- NO2 NO3- O2 OF2 PCl5 PH3
PO33- PO43- SCl2 SF4 SF6 SO3 SO42- XeF2
XeF4