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Title: How do you know where to draw oxygen in lewis structure? Post by: riveraj22 on Feb 15, 2013 Hi guys,
So if you have to draw out HCO3- you draw the carbon bonded to three oxygens with the hydrogen on one of the oxygens. When you draw out H2CO you draw the hydrogens bound to the carbon rather than the oxygen. Why do the rules here change? Thanks Title: How do you know where to draw oxygen in lewis structure? Post by: smmunday on Feb 15, 2013 well, lets see. I will try to explain this in terms of general rules of thumb......however, if you read more into the theory of lewis structures, you will have your answer.
I would answer this by saying that carbon must always have 4 bonds. If you already know this (which I'm assuming you do), I would go one step further by saying that oxygen should have two bonds. (so how would it hold both hydrogens whilst being bound to carbon? thats 3 bonds). and you certainly wouldnt have an -OH because then you wouldn't be able to give carbon 4 bonds (unless to double/triple bonded it to a hydrogen...and this is impossible) short answer - the rules are not changing. they are: 1) carbon must have 4 bonds 2) oxygen must have 2 bonds 3) hydrogen must have 1 bond |