How to draw a Lewis structure for COCL2?

Question

I pretty much can do it. But what I'm wondering is why is the double bond on O and not on one of the Cl's. What's the rule on that?

Update:

ok true. But in COOH how do you know which O gets the double bond?

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

O has 6 valance electrons so it needs two bonds to fill its octet while Cl has 7 and only needs one bond.

Answer 2

Lewis Structure For Cocl2

Source(s): https://shrinks.im/a8yBz

Answer 3

Cocl2 Lewis Structure

Source(s): https://shrink.im/a8nal

Answer 4

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RE:

How to draw a Lewis structure for COCL2?

I pretty much can do it. But what I'm wondering is why is the double bond on O and not on one of the Cl's. What's the rule on that?

Source(s): draw lewis structure cocl2: https://shortly.im/lTDNA

Answer 5

chlorine's only like to form 1 bond whereas oxygens like to form 2. the reason has to do with the valence shell electrons of the atoms. chlorine owns 7 electrons in its electrically neutral state and contains 8 electrons total in its outer shell. to do this, it owns 3 loan pairs of electrons to itself (6 e-) and forms one bond. the bond contains two electrons, only one of which actually belongs to chlorine (the seventh electron)

oxygen is similar in that it wants to own 6 electrons while having a total of 8 in its shell. thus it owns two lone pairs and makes two bonds.

Answer 6

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