Lewis structure for the sulfur = dichloride molecule, SCl2, would show 3 electron pairs: electron pairs 2 electron pairs
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The Lewis structure for sulfur dichloride (SCl₂) shows the following:
- Sulfur (S) is the central atom.
- It forms two single bonds with two chlorine (Cl) atoms.
- In addition to these two bonding pairs, sulfur has two lone pairs of electrons.
- Each chlorine atom also has three lone pairs.
Correct Lewis Structure:
- Sulfur is bonded to two chlorine atoms via single bonds.
- Sulfur has 2 bonding pairs and 2 lone pairs, making a total of 4 electron pairs (not 3).
- Each chlorine atom has 3 lone pairs to satisfy the octet rule.
So, the correct answer is:
👉 The Lewis structure for SCl₂ shows 4 electron pairs around the central sulfur atom: 2 bonding pairs and 2 lone pairs.
Explanation:
Sulfur dichloride (SCl₂) is a simple molecular compound consisting of one sulfur atom and two chlorine atoms. To draw its Lewis structure, we start by determining the total number of valence electrons. Sulfur is in group 16 and has 6 valence electrons, while each chlorine atom, from group 17, has 7. With two chlorine atoms, that’s:
- Sulfur: 6 electrons
- Chlorines: 7 × 2 = 14 electrons
- Total = 6 + 14 = 20 valence electrons
In the structure, sulfur is placed at the center with two single bonds connecting it to the chlorine atoms. Each single bond uses 2 electrons, so 4 electrons are used in bonding. That leaves 16 electrons.
We distribute the remaining electrons to complete the octets of the chlorine atoms. Each chlorine needs 6 more electrons to complete its octet (3 lone pairs × 2 = 6), and with 2 chlorines, that’s 12 electrons.
We now have 4 electrons remaining, which we place as two lone pairs on the sulfur atom. Thus, sulfur has 2 bonding pairs (from the Cl atoms) and 2 lone pairs, giving a total of 4 electron domains around it.
This results in a bent molecular geometry due to the repulsion between lone pairs, with a bond angle slightly less than 109.5°, typical of a tetrahedral electron domain arrangement.
Therefore, SCl₂ has 2 bonding pairs and 2 lone pairs, totaling 4 electron pairs, not 3.
