Which statement most completely describes a Lewis electron dot diagram?

• A. It displays all electrons of an atom as dots surrounding the nucleus.
• B. It shows the valence electrons of an atom as dots arranged around the chemical symbol.
• C. It illustrates the bonding between atoms using lines only.
• D. It represents the atomic number of an element using dots.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a Lewis electron dot diagram is a way to represent the valence electrons of an atom, which are the electrons in the outermost shell that participate in bonding.
2. Recognize that in a Lewis diagram, the chemical symbol of the element is written to represent the nucleus and inner electrons, while dots are placed around the symbol to represent the valence electrons.
3. Note that each dot corresponds to one valence electron, and they are arranged around the symbol in pairs or single dots to reflect possible bonding or lone pairs.
4. Distinguish that Lewis diagrams do not show all electrons of the atom, only the valence electrons, and they do not use lines exclusively to represent bonds in this context (lines are used in Lewis structures for molecules, not single atoms).
5. Conclude that the most complete description is that a Lewis electron dot diagram shows the valence electrons of an atom as dots arranged around the chemical symbol.