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QuestionChemistry

Draw lewis dot structure for CH^3 + and show formal charges
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Answer

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Step 1:
: Determine the total number of valence electrons in the molecule.

For CH^3 +, there are 4 valence electrons from Carbon (group 4A) and 3 valence electrons from Hydrogen (group 1A), minus one electron for the positive charge. Therefore, there are a total of 6 valence electrons.

Step 2:
: Draw the skeletal structure of the molecule.

Draw a Carbon atom bonded to three Hydrogen atoms, with a positive charge on the Carbon atom.

Step 3:
: Distribute the valence electrons around the atoms.

Give each Hydrogen atom one electron to form a hydrogen atom (:H). Give the Carbon atom the remaining valence electrons to form three carbon-hydrogen bonds (:C:H).

Step 4:
: Calculate the formal charge on each atom.

The formal charge on an atom is calculated as follows: For the Carbon atom, it has 4 valence electrons, no non-bonding electrons, and 8 bonding electrons (4 from the bonds with Hydrogen atoms). Therefore, the formal charge on the Carbon atom is: For each Hydrogen atom, it has 1 valence electron, 2 non-bonding electrons (from the hydrogen atom), and 1 bonding electron (from the bond with Carbon). Therefore, the formal charge on each Hydrogen atom is:

Step 5:
: Draw the Lewis dot structure with formal charges.

:C<sup>+</sup>:H :H :H

Final Answer

The Lewis dot structure for CH^3 + is shown above, with a formal charge of + 1 on the Carbon atom and a formal charge of 0 on each Hydrogen atom.