The Lewis dot structure for CH3Cl, or chloromethane, shows how the atoms are bonded and the arrangement of electrons. In this molecule, we have one carbon (C) atom, three hydrogen (H) atoms, and one chlorine (Cl) atom.
To draw the Lewis structure, we start by determining the total number of valence electrons:
- Carbon has 4 valence electrons.
- Each hydrogen atom has 1 valence electron, contributing a total of 3 from three hydrogen atoms.
- Chlorine has 7 valence electrons.
Thus, the total number of valence electrons is 4 + 3 + 7 = 14.
Next, we arrange the atoms. Carbon is the central atom because it can make up to four bonds. Bonding hydrogen atoms around the carbon gives us the following structure:
H
|
H - C - Cl
|
H
Now, we assign the remaining valence electrons. Each bond between C and H and between C and Cl counts as 2 electrons. The structure accommodates 12 electrons (6 from 3 C-H bonds and 2 from the C-Cl bond), leaving 2 electrons. These two remaining electrons are placed as lone pairs on the chlorine atom:
H
|
H - C - Cl:
|
H
This representation illustrates that carbon forms single bonds with each of the three hydrogen atoms and a single bond with chlorine, while chlorine retains three lone pairs of electrons. Thus, the complete Lewis dot structure effectively conveys the molecule’s bonding and electron configuration.