Which of the following represents the correct Lewis dot structure for sodium fluoride (NaF), a neutral compound?

• A. Na with no dots and F with eight dots, separated by a single bond
• B. Na and F both with eight dots, connected by a double bond
• C. Na with one dot and F with seven dots, connected by a single bond
• D. Na with no dots and F with eight dots, with Na and F shown as separate ions: Na^+ and F^-

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Identify the types of elements involved and their typical behavior in bonding. Sodium (Na) is a metal and tends to lose one electron to form a Na⁺ ion, while fluorine (F) is a nonmetal and tends to gain one electron to form an F⁻ ion.
2. Step 2: Determine the number of valence electrons for each atom. Sodium has 1 valence electron, and fluorine has 7 valence electrons.
3. Step 3: Understand that sodium will lose its one valence electron, resulting in no dots around Na (since it becomes Na⁺), and fluorine will gain that electron to complete its octet, resulting in 8 dots around F (as F⁻).
4. Step 4: Recognize that the bonding in sodium fluoride is ionic, not covalent, so the Lewis structure should show Na⁺ and F⁻ as separate ions rather than connected by shared electron dots or bonds.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct Lewis structure for NaF shows Na with no dots (Na⁺) and F with eight dots (F⁻), indicating the transfer of one electron from Na to F and the formation of ions.