Draw the Lewis Structure of SO2 That Obeys the Octet Rule: Which Electrons Are Bonding and Which Are Non-Bonding? What Is the Shape of This Molecule?

To draw the Lewis structure of SO₂ that obeys the octet rule, follow these steps:

1. Count the total number of valence electrons: Sulfur (S) has 6 valence electrons, and each oxygen (O) atom has 6 valence electrons. Therefore, the total number of valence electrons is 6 (from S) + 6 (from O) + 6 (from O) = 18 electrons.
2. Place the least electronegative atom in the center: Sulfur is less electronegative than oxygen, so it will be the central atom.
3. Connect the central atom to the surrounding atoms with single bonds: Draw single bonds between sulfur and each oxygen atom. This uses 4 electrons (2 for each bond).
4. Distribute the remaining electrons: After forming the single bonds, you have 14 electrons left. Place these electrons around the oxygen atoms to satisfy the octet rule. Each oxygen atom will have 6 electrons (2 in the bond and 4 as lone pairs).
5. Check the octet rule for the central atom: Sulfur currently has 8 electrons (2 from each bond and 4 from lone pairs). This satisfies the octet rule.

Bonding and Non-Bonding Electrons:

• Bonding Electrons: The electrons involved in the single bonds between sulfur and oxygen are bonding electrons. There are 4 bonding electrons in total (2 for each bond).
• Non-Bonding Electrons: The lone pairs on the oxygen atoms are non-bonding electrons. Each oxygen atom has 4 non-bonding electrons, making a total of 8 non-bonding electrons.

Shape of the Molecule:

The shape of the SO₂ molecule is bent or V-shaped. This is because the molecule has two bonding pairs and one lone pair on the central sulfur atom, leading to a bent molecular geometry.