Periodic Table Study Guide

How to Draw Lewis

Structures

5th Grade Science

Mrs. LaRosa

www.middleschoolscience.com 2008
 Electron Dot Diagrams
• Shows valence electrons around an atom

• Valence electrons – electrons in the outermost

energy level of an atom

• Valence electrons are only located in the outer level

“s” and “p” orbitals

• Valence electrons are shown in the outer energy

level of a “shell diagram”
 Electron Shell Diagrams
• A shell diagram shows
all electrons, but we
are most interested in
the electrons in the
outermost energy level
 called the valence
level or valence shell.
 Electron Dot Diagrams
• To draw:
1. Write chemical
symbol

2. Place one dot around

chemical symbol for each
valence electron (up to
eight dots)

3. All inner level electrons and

nucleus are symbolized
by the chemical symbol
 Electron Dot Diagrams
• Some electrons are already paired up within a
single atom and are not shared. These are called
non-bonding / unshared pairs.
 Electron Dot Diagrams
• Some elements
are able to share
more than one
pair of electrons
to form double
and triple bonds
 Lewis Structures
1) Find your element on the periodic table.
2) Determine the number of valence electrons.
3) This is how many electrons you will draw.
Lewis Structures

• Find out which group

(column) your element is
in.
• This will tell you the
number of valence
electrons your element
has.
• You will only draw the
valence electrons.

www.chem4kids.com
Groups - Review
Except for He, it has 2
electrons

•Each column is
called a “group”

•Each element in a
group has the same
number of electrons
in their outer orbital,
also known as
“shells”.

•The electrons in the

outer shell are called
www.chem4kids.com “valence electrons”
Lewis Structures
1) Write the element
symbol.
2) Carbon is in the 4th
group, so it has 4
valence electrons.
3) Starting at the right,
draw 4 electrons, or
dots, counter-
clockwise around the
element symbol.
Lewis Structures
1) Check your work.
2) Using your periodic
table, check that
Carbon is in the 4th
group.
3) You should have 4
total electrons, or
dots, drawn in for
Carbon.
Lewis Structures

On your worksheet, try

these elements on your own:
a) H
b) P
c) Ca
d) Ar
e) Cl
f) Al
Lewis Structures

On your worksheet, try

these elements on your own:
a) H
b) P
c) Ca
d) Ar
e) Cl
f) Al
Lewis Structures

On your worksheet, try

these elements on your own:
a) H
b) P
c) Ca
d) Ar
e) Cl
f) Al
Lewis Structures

On your worksheet, try

these elements on your own:
a) H
b) P
c) Ca
d) Ar
e) Cl
f) Al
Lewis Structures

On your worksheet, try

these elements on your own:
a) H
b) P
c) Ca
d) Ar
e) Cl
f) Al
Lewis Structures

On your worksheet, try

these elements on your own:
a) H
b) P
c) Ca
d) Ar
e) Cl
f) Al
Lewis Structures

On your worksheet, try

these elements on your own:
a) H
b) P
c) Ca
d) Ar
e) Cl
f) Al
 End of Study Guide.

Complete the Lewis Structure

Worksheet

You should know how to draw

Lewis Structures for the first
20 elements.
 Example: Water
• Sum up valence e-’s
• 8
• Draw e- pairs, may
use a line to
designate e- pair.
• H-O-H
• Distribute remaining
e-’s to fill octet or
duet.
How about CO2?

• How many Valence

electrons?
• 16
• Bond the three
atoms.
• O-C-O
• How to arrange the
remaining e-’s?
 Summary
• Second row elements C, N, O & F always
follow the octet rule.
• Second row B, & Be may have less than 8.
These electron deficient molecules are highly
reactive.
• 2nd row elements may never exceed the octet
since they do not have access to d orbitals in
the second energy level.
 Summary continued
• Third row and higher elements often satisfy
the octet rule but may exceed the rule as they
have access to the d orbital.
• When writing the Lewis structure, follow the
octet rule. If electrons remain, only then may
you add extra electron pairs to the element
having available d orbitals.
• Draw electron dot diagrams of the following
compounds:
1. BeF2 6. H2O
2. H2 7. CH4
3. PBr3 8. SO2
4. BI3 9. NH3
5. C3H6O 10. SiO4
 Summary
• Second row elements C, N, O & F always
follow the octet rule.
• Second row B, & Be may have less than 8.
These electron deficient molecules are highly
reactive.
• 2nd row elements may never exceed the octet
since they do not have access to d orbitals in
the second energy level.