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Chemistry vocabulary · Chemical Bonding and Structure

Lewis structure

Meaning in chemistry, with examples

nounCommon term

In chemistry, Lewis structure means: A drawing of a molecule or ion that shows its atoms, the bonds between them as lines, and the lone pairs of valence electrons as dots.

In Turkish: Lewis yapısı, Lewis nokta yapısı

How it is used

Taught early in general chemistry. You draw a Lewis structure, check that each atom has an octet and calculate formal charges. It is also called a Lewis dot structure or an electron dot diagram.

Example sentences

  1. Draw the Lewis structure of carbon dioxide and show both double bonds.

  2. In the Lewis structure of ammonia, nitrogen has one lone pair.

Common collocations

  • draw a Lewis structure
  • Lewis dot structure
  • octet rule
  • formal charge
  • valence electronAn electron in the outermost shell of an atom. These outer electrons take part in bonding and largely decide how an element reacts.
  • covalent bondA chemical bond in which two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons. It usually forms between nonmetal atoms, as in H₂, H₂O and CH₄.
  • moleculeA group of two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds. It is the smallest particle of a substance such as water or oxygen gas that still has that substance's chemical properties.
  • electronA tiny particle with a negative charge that moves around the nucleus of an atom. Chemical bonds and reactions are mostly about how these particles are shared or transferred.

More terms: Chemical Bonding and Structure

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