Which of the following best describes how an electron dot (Lewis) structure represents a covalent bond in a neutral compound?

• A. By displaying only the lone pairs of electrons on each atom, without showing shared electrons.
• B. By representing ionic bonds through the transfer of electrons from one atom to another.
• C. By showing shared pairs of electrons between atoms as dots or lines between their chemical symbols.
• D. By indicating the total number of protons in each atom using dots around the chemical symbol.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a Lewis structure (electron dot structure) is a way to represent valence electrons in atoms within a molecule.
2. Recall that covalent bonds involve the sharing of electron pairs between atoms to achieve stable electron configurations.
3. Recognize that in Lewis structures, shared pairs of electrons (covalent bonds) are depicted as either pairs of dots or lines placed between the chemical symbols of the bonded atoms.
4. Note that lone pairs (non-bonding electrons) are shown as pairs of dots around individual atoms, but the key feature of covalent bonding is the shared electron pairs between atoms.
5. Conclude that the best description of how a Lewis structure represents a covalent bond is by showing shared pairs of electrons between atoms as dots or lines between their chemical symbols.