Multiple Choice
Which of the following represents the correct Lewis dot structure for sodium fluoride (NaF), a neutral compound?
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11. Bonding & Molecular Structure
Lewis Dot Structures: Neutral Compounds
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In the Lewis dot structure of ammonia (NH_3), how many lone pairs of electrons are found on the nitrogen atom?
A
0
B
1
C
2
D
3
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the total number of valence electrons for the nitrogen atom. Nitrogen is in group 15 of the periodic table, so it has 5 valence electrons.
Recognize that each hydrogen atom contributes 1 valence electron, and there are 3 hydrogen atoms bonded to nitrogen in NH_3.
Draw single bonds between the nitrogen atom and each of the three hydrogen atoms. Each bond represents 2 shared electrons (1 from nitrogen and 1 from hydrogen).
Calculate the number of electrons used in bonding: 3 bonds × 2 electrons per bond = 6 electrons. Since nitrogen has 5 valence electrons, it uses 3 of them in bonding, leaving 2 electrons unshared.
Determine that the remaining 2 electrons on nitrogen form 1 lone pair, because a lone pair consists of 2 electrons that are not involved in bonding.
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