Draw the Lewis structure for the CCl4

Draw the Lewis structure for the CCl4

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:

To draw the Lewis structure of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄), follow these steps:

1. Count the total number of valence electrons:

• Carbon (C) is in Group 14 of the periodic table, so it has 4 valence electrons.
• Chlorine (Cl) is in Group 17, so each chlorine atom has 7 valence electrons. Since there are four chlorine atoms, this contributes ( 4 \times 7 = 28 ) valence electrons.

Thus, the total number of valence electrons is:
[
4 \, (\text{from C}) + 28 \, (\text{from 4 Cl}) = 32 \, \text{valence electrons}
]

2. Determine the central atom:

• Carbon (C) is the least electronegative atom (except for hydrogen), so it will be the central atom. Chlorine atoms will surround the central carbon atom.

3. Create bonds between the atoms:

• Carbon will form single bonds with each of the four chlorine atoms. Each single bond consists of 2 electrons. With 4 bonds, the total number of electrons used for bonding is:
  [
  4 \times 2 = 8 \, \text{electrons}
  ]
  This leaves us with ( 32 – 8 = 24 ) electrons to distribute as lone pairs.

4. Distribute the remaining electrons:

• Place 3 lone pairs of electrons on each chlorine atom to complete their octet. Since each chlorine atom already shares 2 electrons with carbon (via the single bond), each chlorine atom needs 6 more electrons (3 lone pairs) to complete its octet.

Now, each chlorine atom has 8 electrons (2 from the bond and 6 as lone pairs).

5. Check the structure:

• Carbon has 4 single bonds, and each chlorine atom has 3 lone pairs. Carbon has no lone pairs, and all atoms have complete octets.

Thus, the final Lewis structure of CCl₄ is:

    Cl
    |
Cl—C—Cl
    |
    Cl

Explanation:

• Carbon (C) is the central atom and forms four single bonds with the four Chlorine (Cl) atoms. Each bond represents 2 electrons.
• Chlorine (Cl) atoms each have three lone pairs (6 electrons) around them, ensuring that each chlorine atom has a full octet.
• The structure is tetrahedral, as the four bonds to chlorine atoms form a 3D arrangement with 109.5° bond angles. This molecular geometry minimizes electron pair repulsion, in accordance with the VSEPR (Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion) theory.

In conclusion, CCl₄ is a nonpolar molecule due to its symmetric tetrahedral shape, where the dipoles from the C–Cl bonds cancel each other out.