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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