How to Draw a Lewis Structure for HBr

To draw the Lewis structure for HBr (Hydrogen Bromide), follow these steps:

1. Count the total number of valence electrons:
   • Hydrogen (H) has 1 valence electron.
   • Bromine (Br) has 7 valence electrons.
   • Total valence electrons = 1 (from H) + 7 (from Br) = 8 electrons.
2. Determine the central atom:
   • Hydrogen is always an outer atom, so Bromine (Br) will be the central atom.
3. Connect the atoms with a single bond:
   • Draw a single bond (a line) between Hydrogen and Bromine. This uses 2 electrons.
4. Distribute the remaining electrons:
   • After forming the single bond, 6 electrons remain.
   • Place these electrons around Bromine to complete its octet. Bromine will have 3 lone pairs (6 electrons).
5. Check the octet rule:
   • Hydrogen has 2 electrons (satisfying the duet rule).
   • Bromine has 8 electrons (satisfying the octet rule).

Here is the final Lewis structure for HBr:

  H
  |
  Br

In this structure, Hydrogen is bonded to Bromine with a single bond, and Bromine has three lone pairs of electrons.