Q
QuestionChemistry

"Draw the Lewis structure of HCN. Include lone pairs."" is a complete question. It clearly asks for: The Lewis structure of hydrogen cyanide (HCN). That lone pairs should be shown."
6 months agoReport content

Answer

Full Solution Locked

Sign in to view the complete step-by-step solution and unlock all study resources.

Step 1
: Identify the number of valence electrons in each atom

1 \ \text{valence electron (H)} + 5 \ \text{valence electrons (N)} + 5 \ \text{valence electrons (C)} = 11 \ \text{valence electrons}
Hydrogen (H) has 1 valence electron, and nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) each have 5 valence electrons. Since there is one H atom, one N atom, and one C atom, the total number of valence electrons is:

Step 2
: Place the atoms in the Lewis structure

Place the H atom and C atom next to each other, followed by the N atom. Connect them with a single bond, which uses 2 valence electrons: H - C - N

Final Answer

The Lewis structure of HCN with lone pairs is: H : C ::: N: The formal charges are all 0, and the octet rule is satisfied for all atoms.