2. What is a Lewis Dot Structure?

Lewis structures, also called electron-dot structures or electron-dot diagrams, are diagrams that show the bonding between atoms of a molecule, and the lone pairs of electrons that may exist in the molecule. A Lewis structure can be drawn for any covalently-bonded molecule, as well as coordination compounds.

The purpose of drawing a Lewis dot structure is to identify the lone electron pairs in molecules to help determine chemical bond formation. Lewis structures can be made for molecules that contain covalent bonds and for coordination compounds. The reason is that electrons are shared in a covalent bond.

Explanation: