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Saturday, June 27, 2020

How can draw the Lewis Structure of CO?

The electronic configuration of carbon and oxygen atoms as

C6 =1s2 2s2 2p2
O8 =1s2 2s2 2p4

This information can be used to determine the Lewis Dot Structure of  Carbon monoxide (CO):

Step 1: calculate total valence electrons  for carbon and oxygen atoms.

C = 4
O = 6

Total electrons in CO molecule =10

Step 2: Find octet electrons for each atom , carbon and oxygen

C: 8
O: 8

Total octet electrons =16

Step 3: Find the bonding electrons Subtract total valence electron from total octet electrons

16-10=6 electron (3 bond pair)

Step 4: Find number of bonds between carbon and oxygen atoms  by dividing the number of bonding electrons by 2

6-electrons/2 = 3 bonds

Step 5: The rest are non bonding pairs. Subtract bonding electrons  from valence electrons .

10-6= 4e-= 2 lone pairs


The Lewis structure of CO is identical with that for HC:::CH  except that the C-H bond pair replace by lone pairs.

      "CO is also isoctronic with CN-"


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