Abstract
Current freshman chemistry textbooks commonly advise the drawing of Lewis structures with much emphasis on the reduction of formal charge and little on the preservation of the octet rule. This currently accepted method produces structures different from the original Lewis structures, which rarely had expanded valence shells on central atoms. Computational results from Gaussian 92 have shown us that the leading resonance structures cited in freshman chemistry textbooks are often not the most accurate to represent the molecules and are, at best, minor resonance structures, whose presentation is not worth the confusion that it causes for many first-year students. Instead, the Lewis structures that most accurately represent these molecules are the original Lewis structures, which generally abide by the octet rule. If the octet rule is more strongly stressed in the teaching of Lewis structures-thus avoiding the many complications and sources of confusion related to valence-shell expansion and reduction of form...
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.