Which of the following best describes a Lewis dot structure for a neutral compound?

• A. A diagram showing only the bonding pairs of electrons between atoms, ignoring lone pairs.
• B. A diagram showing all valence electrons arranged to satisfy the octet rule for each atom, with no net charge on the molecule.
• C. A diagram that represents the atomic nuclei connected by lines, without any electrons shown.
• D. A diagram that includes formal charges on each atom, even if the total charge is not zero.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a Lewis dot structure is a way to represent the valence electrons of atoms within a molecule, showing how atoms share or transfer electrons to form bonds.
2. Recall that valence electrons include both bonding pairs (shared electrons forming bonds) and lone pairs (non-bonding electrons localized on an atom).
3. Recognize that for a neutral compound, the Lewis structure should show all valence electrons arranged so that each atom (usually) satisfies the octet rule, meaning it has eight electrons in its valence shell (except for exceptions like hydrogen).
4. Note that the structure should have no net charge, meaning the total number of electrons shown matches the total number of valence electrons from all atoms combined, and formal charges should be minimized or zero if possible.
5. Conclude that the best description of a Lewis dot structure for a neutral compound is a diagram showing all valence electrons arranged to satisfy the octet rule for each atom, with no net charge on the molecule.