Commonly Tested Lewis Structures

We draw Lewis Structures to predict:

-the shape of a molecule.

-the reactivity of a molecule and how it might interact with other molecules.

-the physical properties of a molecule such as boiling point, surface tension, etc.

Drawing the Lewis Structure for NO₂^-

Video: Drawing the Lewis Structure for NO₂^-

For the NO2- Lewis structure, calculate the total number of valence electrons for the NO2- molecule. After determining how many valence electrons there are in NO2-, place them around the central atom to complete the octets.

There are a total of 18 valence electrons for the Lewis structure for NO2-.

Nitrogen is the least electronegative atom in the NO2- lewis structure and therefore goes in the center of the structure.

In order to make sure the outer shell of the Nitrogen (N) atom is full you will need to form a double bond with one of the Oxygen (O) atoms in this Lewis structure.

Also note that you should put the NO2- Lewis structure in brackets with as 1- on the outside to show that it is an ion with a negative one charge.

It is helpful if you:

• Try to draw the NO₂^- Lewis structure before watching the video.
• Watch the video and see if you missed any steps or information.
• Try structures similar to NO₂^- for more practice.

List of Lewis Structures

Acetone	BF3	BH4-	BrF5	BrO3-	C2H2	C2H4	ClO-
CH4	ClO2-	ClO2	ClO4-	CO	CS2	H2O	H3O+
HCl	HNO3	I3-	ICl4-	IF5	N2	N3-	NH2OH
NH3	NO2-	NO2	NO3-	O2	OF2	PCl5	PH3
PO33-	PO43-	SCl2	SF4	SF6	SO3	SO42-	XeF2
XeF4