Lewis Diagrams and Formal Charges

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to Lewis diagrams and formal charges as discussed in the lecture notes.

Lewis Diagrams

2D representations used to visualize the arrangement of atoms, bonds, and non-bonding electrons in a molecule.

Formal Charge (FC)

The charge an atom appears to have in a Lewis structure; calculated by: valence e- in free atom - non-bonding e- - 1/2(bonding e-).

Octet Rule

Most atoms tend to bond in such a way that they have eight electrons in their valence shell.

Curly Arrows

Symbols used in Lewis diagrams to indicate the movement of electrons, showing how they are transferred or shared between atoms.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that are involved in forming bonds.

Resonance

The phenomenon where more than one valid Lewis structure can be drawn for a molecule, depicting delocalized electrons.

Ionic Bonding

A type of chemical bond that occurs when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, resulting in oppositely charged ions.

Covalent Bonding

A type of bonding where atoms share pairs of electrons to attain stability.

Duet Rule

Refers to the tendency of hydrogen and helium to strive to have two electrons in their outer shell.

Skeletal Structure

A simplified representation showing how atoms are connected in a molecule, usually emphasizing the central atom.