How to Draw the Lewis Structure and Show All Ionic Electron Pairs and Bond Orders for Acetic Acid (CH₃COOH) and Chloroacetic Acid (CH₂ClCOOH)

To draw the Lewis structure and show all ionic electron pairs and bond orders for acetic acid (CH₃COOH) and chloroacetic acid (CH₂ClCOOH), follow these steps:

Acetic Acid (CH₃COOH)

  1. Count the total number of valence electrons:
    • Carbon (C) has 4 valence electrons.
    • Hydrogen (H) has 1 valence electron.
    • Oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons.

    For CH₃COOH: (4 × 1) + (3 × 1) + (4 × 1) + (6 × 2) = 24 valence electrons.

  2. Draw the skeletal structure:

    Connect the atoms with single bonds: H₃C-COOH.

  3. Distribute the remaining electrons:

    Place lone pairs on the oxygen atoms to satisfy the octet rule.

  4. Check for formal charges:

    Ensure that the formal charges are minimized.

  5. Identify ionic electron pairs and bond orders:

    The C=O bond is a double bond, and the C-O bond is a single bond. The C-H bonds are single bonds.

Chloroacetic Acid (CH₂ClCOOH)

  1. Count the total number of valence electrons:
    • Carbon (C) has 4 valence electrons.
    • Hydrogen (H) has 1 valence electron.
    • Chlorine (Cl) has 7 valence electrons.
    • Oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons.

    For CH₂ClCOOH: (4 × 1) + (2 × 1) + (7 × 1) + (4 × 1) + (6 × 2) = 30 valence electrons.

  2. Draw the skeletal structure:

    Connect the atoms with single bonds: ClCH₂-COOH.

  3. Distribute the remaining electrons:

    Place lone pairs on the oxygen and chlorine atoms to satisfy the octet rule.

  4. Check for formal charges:

    Ensure that the formal charges are minimized.

  5. Identify ionic electron pairs and bond orders:

    The C=O bond is a double bond, and the C-O bond is a single bond. The C-H and C-Cl bonds are single bonds.

More Related Questions