How many electrons are shared in the Lewis structure of CH_2Cl_2?

1 Answer
anor277
Feb 23, 2017

Well, clearly, there are 4 covalent bonds, and thus the number of shared electrons is 8.

Explanation:

We look at the electronic structure of atomic carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine. Around the central carbon atom there are 4 valence electrons; these are shared with 2 hydrogens to form 2xxC-H bonds, and with two chlorine atoms, to form 2xxCl bonds.

Given this formal description, what is the geometry of the methylene chloride molecule?

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