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QuestionChemistry

Draw a Lewis structure for dimethyl ether (CH^3OCH3).
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Step 1:
I'll solve this problem step by step, following the specified LaTeX and formatting guidelines:

Step 2:
: Determine the total number of valence electrons

- Total valence electrons: $$8 + 6 + 6 = 20$$ electrons
- Carbon (C): 4 valence electrons × 2 = 8 electrons - Oxygen (O): 6 valence electrons × 1 = 6 electrons - Hydrogen (H): 1 valence electron × 6 = 6 electrons

Step 3:
: Arrange the atoms

- Structural skeleton: $$H_3C-O-CH_3
- Place the oxygen atom in the center, connecting the two carbon atoms

Step 4:
: Connect atoms with single bonds

- Bonds used so far: $$6 \times 2 = 12$$ electrons
- First, connect each carbon to the oxygen with a single bond - Connect hydrogens to carbons

Step 5:
: Add remaining electrons as lone pairs

- Remaining electrons: $$20 - 12 = 8$$ electrons
- Place these as lone pairs on the oxygen atom - Oxygen typically has two lone pairs

Step 6:
: Check octet rule

- Each carbon has 4 electrons (single bonds) - Oxygen has 4 electrons in bonds and 4 electrons in lone pairs - All atoms satisfy the octet rule Final Lewis Structure: \begin{array}{c} H_3 C-O-CH_3 \ \text{with two lone pairs on oxygen} \end{array}

Final Answer

- Each carbon has 4 electrons (single bonds) - Oxygen has 4 electrons in bonds and 4 electrons in lone pairs - All atoms satisfy the octet rule Final Lewis Structure: \begin{array}{c} H_3 C-O-CH_3 \ \text{with two lone pairs on oxygen} \end{array}