Draw the lewis diagram for Cl2 and answer the following question: (Please show your work when drawing the lewis diagram)
a. How many LONE PAIRS of electrons are in the chlorine molecule, Cl2?
b. How many BONDING PAIRS of electrons are there in this molecule?
c. What type of bond (ionic or covalent) exists between these two atoms?
(CI2 as two chlorine atoms bonded together, NOT a carbon and two iodine atoms. CI2 is a diatomic Chlorine molecule!)
The correct answer and explanation is :
To answer your question thoroughly, we’ll first draw the Lewis structure of Cl₂ and then answer each part.
Step-by-step: Drawing the Lewis Diagram for Cl₂
- Determine the number of valence electrons for each Cl atom:
- Chlorine (Cl) is in Group 17 of the periodic table.
- It has 7 valence electrons.
- Total valence electrons for Cl₂:
- Since there are two Cl atoms: 7 + 7 = 14 valence electrons total.
- Bond formation:
- To form a stable molecule, the two Cl atoms share 1 pair of electrons (a single covalent bond) between them.
- This satisfies the octet rule for both atoms.
- Assign the remaining electrons:
- We used 2 electrons for bonding (1 bond).
- 14 – 2 = 12 electrons left.
- These are distributed as lone pairs, 3 pairs (6 electrons) around each Cl atom.
Lewis Structure of Cl₂:
:Cl — Cl:- Each Cl atom has 3 lone pairs (6 electrons) around it and 1 bonding pair (2 electrons) shared between them.
Answering the Questions:
a. How many LONE PAIRS of electrons are in the chlorine molecule, Cl₂?
- Each Cl atom has 3 lone pairs.
- Total lone pairs: 3 (on left Cl) + 3 (on right Cl) = 6 lone pairs
b. How many BONDING PAIRS of electrons are there in this molecule?
- The two Cl atoms share 1 bonding pair = 1 bonding pair
c. What type of bond (ionic or covalent) exists between these two atoms?
- Since both atoms are nonmetals and they share electrons, the bond is covalent.
300-word Explanation:
The chlorine molecule (Cl₂) is a classic example of a diatomic molecule formed through covalent bonding. Each chlorine atom has 7 valence electrons and needs one more to achieve a full octet. Instead of transferring electrons (as seen in ionic bonds), the two chlorine atoms share a pair of electrons, resulting in a single covalent bond.
The Lewis diagram helps visualize this electron-sharing. When we draw Cl₂, we begin by placing the two Cl atoms next to each other and connecting them with a single line to represent the shared electron pair (bonding pair). After placing the bond, we count the remaining valence electrons and distribute them as lone pairs around each chlorine atom. This ensures both atoms obey the octet rule, having 8 electrons in their valence shell (including shared electrons).
In total, Cl₂ has 6 lone pairs—3 on each atom—and 1 bonding pair. These lone pairs are non-bonding electrons and remain localized on their respective atoms. The single shared pair forms a strong covalent bond that holds the molecule together.
Because both atoms involved are identical nonmetals, the bond is not only covalent but also nonpolar—there is no difference in electronegativity between the atoms, so the electron pair is shared equally. This is in contrast to ionic bonds, where electrons are transferred from a metal to a nonmetal.
Understanding Cl₂ is fundamental in chemistry, especially when learning how atoms achieve stability through bonding and electron sharing.