Which of the following represents a valid Lewis dot structure for the sodium ion (Na^+) and chloride ion (Cl^-) pair?

• A. [Na]^+ [ :Cl: :Cl: :Cl: :Cl: ]^-
• B. Na^+ [ ] :Cl: :Cl: :Cl: :Cl:
• C. [Na]^+ [Cl]^+
• D. Na [ :Cl: :Cl: :Cl: :Cl: ]

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the nature of the ions involved. Sodium (Na) typically loses one electron to form Na^+, and chlorine (Cl) typically gains one electron to form Cl^-. This means Na^+ has no valence electrons to show, and Cl^- has a full octet with 8 valence electrons.
2. Step 2: Recall that a Lewis dot structure shows valence electrons as dots around the element symbol. For Na^+, since it has lost its valence electron, it should be represented without any dots and with a positive charge indicated as a superscript.
3. Step 3: For Cl^-, the chloride ion, it should be shown with 8 dots (representing 8 valence electrons) around the Cl symbol, arranged in pairs to indicate lone pairs, and a negative charge as a superscript.
4. Step 4: When representing the pair together, the sodium ion and chloride ion should be shown separately with their respective charges, not bonded by dots or lines, because this is an ionic interaction, not a covalent bond.
5. Step 5: Evaluate the given options by checking if Na^+ is shown without dots and with a positive charge, and Cl^- is shown with 8 dots and a negative charge. The correct Lewis structure will reflect these criteria.