Draw the electron dot structure of carbon dioxide and write the natural of bonding between carbon and oxygen in molecule

Draw the electron dot structure of carbon dioxide and write the natural of bonding between carbon and oxygen in molecule

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:

Electron Dot Structure of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

Electron Dot Structure (Lewis Structure):

mathematicaCopyEditO = C = O

Each oxygen atom forms a double covalent bond with the central carbon atom. In the Lewis structure:

  • Carbon (C) has 4 valence electrons.
  • Oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons.
  • Each double bond represents 4 shared electrons (2 pairs) between carbon and oxygen.
  • Each oxygen also has 4 nonbonding electrons (2 lone pairs) remaining.

Dot version:

rubyCopyEdit..     ..  
:O::C::O:
..     ..

Each “:” represents a pair of electrons (either bonding or lone pair).


Nature of Bonding Between Carbon and Oxygen in CO₂

The bonding between carbon and oxygen atoms in carbon dioxide is covalent, specifically double covalent bonds. A double covalent bond involves two shared pairs of electrons between two atoms. Here’s the breakdown:

  1. Covalent Bonding:
    Covalent bonds occur when two atoms share electrons to achieve stability. In CO₂, carbon shares electrons with two oxygen atoms to complete its octet (8 valence electrons).
  2. Double Bond Formation:
    Since each oxygen needs 2 electrons to complete its octet and carbon needs 4, each oxygen shares two electrons with carbon, forming a double bond. This satisfies the octet rule for both carbon and oxygen atoms.
  3. Bond Polarity:
    Although the C=O bonds are polar due to the difference in electronegativity (oxygen is more electronegative than carbon), the molecule is linear and symmetrical, so the dipoles cancel out, making CO₂ a non-polar molecule overall.
  4. Molecular Geometry:
    The shape of the molecule is linear with a bond angle of 180°, due to the repulsion between electron domains as predicted by VSEPR (Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion) theory.

In conclusion, the electron dot structure of carbon dioxide shows two double bonds between carbon and oxygen. The bonding is covalent, and due to the molecule’s linear shape, CO₂ is non-polar in nature despite having polar bonds.

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