Lewis Structures

Start with electron dot diagrams

The mind map Electron dot diagrams introduces valence electrons and their place in the highest occupied energy level. The similarly titled Electron dot diagram shows how valence electrons are represented as dots around an element’s symbol. Start with these if you want to understand what the dots in a structure represent.

Another mind map titled Lewis Structures outlines a process: find the element on the periodic table, determine its valence electrons and use that information to decide how many electrons to draw. It includes carbon as an example.

Move on to structures and shapes

The Lewis Structure Shape and Polarity flashcards cover drawing Lewis structures, exceptions to the octet rule and how electron regions relate to shape. A separate Lewis Structures mind map lists shapes alongside different numbers of electron regions. Use the map to see the shapes together, then work through the flashcards to explore the related ideas.

The Lewis Structures flashcard deck also covers ionic, covalent and metallic bonds, polar bonds and writing Lewis structures. The note with the same title looks at electron gain and loss in ionic compounds.

Use the formats together

There are no quizzes on this page, but the flashcards offer prompts to work through. After reading a mind map, use a related deck to check what you remember, then return to the map when you want to trace an idea again. For example, pair the shape mind map with the shape and polarity deck.

Explore the unit

Lewis Structures is a section of the Chemical Bonding unit in Chemistry. The resources on this page connect representations of valence electrons with bonding and shape. Continue by choosing a resource that matches the part of the section you want to study.