To draw the Lewis dot structure of lithium (Li), we first need to consider its position in the periodic table. Lithium is located in group 1, which means it has one electron in its outermost shell.
The Lewis dot structure represents the valence electrons as dots surrounding the chemical symbol of the element. For lithium, we can follow these steps:
- Identify the element: Lithium has the symbol Li.
- Determine the number of valence electrons: Lithium has 1 valence electron.
- Represent the valence electron: Draw the symbol for lithium and place one dot next to it to represent the single valence electron.
The Lewis dot structure for lithium can be represented as:
Li •
This simple representation shows that lithium has one electron in its outer shell, which it can lose easily to achieve a more stable electron configuration, similar to helium. This tendency to lose an electron makes lithium a highly reactive metal, especially in the presence of nonmetals, as it seeks to attain a full outer shell.