Lewis Structure
A diagram showing the bonding and lone pairs of a molecule using dots or lines for valence electrons.
Unit
Dimensionless
In depth
Drawing one requires counting total valence electrons, connecting atoms with single bonds, completing octets on the outer atoms and then forming multiple bonds if the central atom is short. Formal charge calculations then identify the most plausible arrangement. Lewis structures are the starting point for VSEPR and resonance analysis.
Examples in the real world
Water drawn as H–O–H with two lone pairs on oxygen; CO₂ as O=C=O with two lone pairs on each oxygen.