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

The ClO2 Lewis structure has 19 valence electrons meaning that there will be an odd number of valence electrons in the structure. For the Lewis structure for ClO2 you should take formal charges into account to find the best Lewis structure for the molecule.

For the ClO2 Lewis structure, calculate the total number of valence electrons for the ClO2 molecule. After determining how many valence electrons there are in ClO2, place them around the central atom to complete the octets.

Note that Chlorine is the least electronegative and goes at the center of the ClO2 Lewis structure.

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