Lewis Symbols and the Octet Rule

• Valence electrons reside in the outer shell and are the electrons
which are going to be involved in chemical interactions and bonding.
• Electron-dot symbols (Lewis symbols):
• convenient representation of valence electrons
• allows you to keep track of valence electrons during bond formation
• consists of the chemical symbol for the element plus a dot for each valence
electron

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 Lewis Symbols and the Octet Rule

Sulfur
• Electron configuration is [Ne]3s23p4, thus there are six valence
electrons.
• Its Lewis symbol would therefore be:

Note:
The dots (representing electrons) are placed on the four sides of the atomic symbol (top,
bottom, left, right). Each side can accommodate up to 2 electrons
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The Octet Rule
• Atoms often gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve the same
number of electrons as the noble gas closest to them in the periodic
table
• Because all noble gases (except He) have filled s and p valence
orbitals (8 electrons), many atoms undergoing reactions also end up
with 8 valence electrons.
• This observation has led to the Octet Rule:
• Atoms tend to lose, gain, or share electrons until they are surrounded by 8
valence electrons
• Note: there are many exceptions to the octet rule (He and H, for example),
but it provides a useful model for understanding the basis of chemical
bonding.
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Exceptions to the Octet Rule
There are three general ways in which the octet rule breaks down:
1. Molecules with an odd number of electrons
2. Molecules in which an atom has less than an octet
3. Molecules in which an atom has more than an octet
• Odd number of electrons
Draw the Lewis structure for the molecule nitrous oxide (NO):
1. Total electrons: 6+5=11
2. Bonding structure:
3. Octet on "outer" element:
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Exceptions to the Octet Rule

4. Remainder of electrons (11-8 = 3) on "central"

atom:

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Exceptions to the Octet Rule
5. There are currently 5 valence electrons around the nitrogen.
• A double bond would place 7 around the nitrogen, and a triple bond
would place 9 around the nitrogen.
• We appear unable to get an octet around each atom.
• Less than an octet (most often encountered with elements of Boron
and Beryllium)
• Draw the Lewis structure for boron trifluoride (BF3):
1. Add electrons (3*7) + 3 = 24

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Exceptions to the Octet Rule
2. Draw connectivities:

3. Add octets to outer atoms:

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Exceptions to the Octet Rule

4. Add extra electrons (24-24=0) to central atom:

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Exceptions to the Octet Rule
However,
• In this structure with a double bond, the fluorine atom is sharing
extra electrons with the boron.
• The fluorine would have a '+' partial charge, and the boron a '-' partial
charge, this is inconsistent with the electronegativities of fluorine and
boron.
• Thus, the structure of BF3, with single bonds, and 6 valence electrons
around the central boron is the most likely structure

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More than an octet (most common example of exceptions to the octet
rule)
• PCl5 is a legitimate compound.

Expanded valence shells are observed only for elements in period 3

(i.e. n=3) and beyond
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More than an octet (most common example of exceptions to the octet
rule)
Size is also an important consideration:
• The larger the central atom, the larger the number of electrons which can
surround it
• Expanded valence shells occur most often when the central atom is bonded
to small electronegative atoms, such as F, Cl and O.

• Draw the Lewis structure for ICl4-

1. Count up the valence electrons: 7+(4*7)+1 = 36 electrons
2. Draw the connectivities:

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More than an octet (most common example of exceptions to the octet
rule)

3. Add octet of electrons to outer atoms:

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More than an octet (most common example of exceptions to the octet
rule)

4. Add extra electrons (36-32=4) to central atom:

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• 5. The ICl4- ion thus has 12 valence electrons around the central
Iodine (in the 5d orbitals)

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 Bonding Theory
❖ A broad classification of chemical forces are
• Ionic bonds
• Covalent bonds
Basic concepts of chemical bonding
• Ionic bonds - electrostatic forces that exist between ions of opposite
charge
✓typically involves a metal with a nonmetal
• Covalent bonds - results from the sharing of electrons between two
atoms
✓typically involves one nonmetallic element with another

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 Chemical Bond
❖ Attraction force that holds two atoms together in a more complex
unit.
❖ Form as a result of interactions between electrons found in the
combining atoms.
❖ Common chemical bonds
❖ Ionic bond
❖ Covalent bond
 Ionic bond
❖ Chemical bond formed through the transfer of one or more
electrons from one atom or group of atoms to another atom or group
of atoms.
 Covalent bond
• The vast majority of chemical substances are not ionic in nature
• gases and liquids, in addition to solids
• low melting temperatures
• G.N. Lewis reasoned that an atom might attain a noble gas electron
configuration by sharing electrons
• A chemical bond formed by sharing a pair of electrons is called a
covalent bond
Covalent bond
Covalent bond
 Covalent bonding- Multiple bonds

❖ The sharing of a pair of electrons represents a single

covalent bond, usually just referred to as a single bond.
❖Two electron pairs share a double bond.
❖Three electron pairs share a triple bond.
COVALENT BONDING- Multiple bonds

• Because each nitrogen atom contains 5 valence electrons, they need

to share 3 pairs to each achieve a valence octet.
• N2 is fairly inert, due to the strong triple bond between the two
nitrogens
• The N - N bond distance in N2 is 1.10 Å (fairly short)

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COORDINATE COVALENT BONDS
• A covalent bond in which one atom contributes both bonding
electrons is called a Coordinate Covalent Bond.
• Once formed, a coordinate covalent bond is like any other covalent
bond. The difference is the source of the bonding electrons.
• Carbon monoxide (CO) is an example

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