Draw and Explain the Lewis Dot Structure of CS2

The Lewis dot structure of CS₂ (carbon disulfide) can be drawn by following these steps:

1. Determine the total number of valence electrons:
   • Carbon (C) has 4 valence electrons.
   • Sulfur (S) has 6 valence electrons.
   • Since there are two sulfur atoms, the total number of valence electrons is 4 (from carbon) + 6 (from sulfur) * 2 = 16 electrons.
2. Identify the central atom:
   • Carbon is the central atom because it is less electronegative than sulfur.
3. Draw the skeletal structure:
   • Place the carbon atom in the center and the two sulfur atoms on either side.
4. Distribute the electrons:
   • Start by forming single bonds between the carbon and each sulfur atom. This uses 4 electrons (2 for each bond).
   • Distribute the remaining 12 electrons as lone pairs around the sulfur atoms. Each sulfur atom will have 3 lone pairs (6 electrons).
5. Check the octet rule:
   • Carbon has 4 electrons (2 from each bond), satisfying the octet rule.
   • Each sulfur atom has 8 electrons (2 from the bond and 6 from lone pairs), also satisfying the octet rule.

The final Lewis dot structure of CS₂ looks like this:

    S = C = S

In this structure, the carbon atom is double-bonded to each sulfur atom, and each sulfur atom has three lone pairs of electrons.