Distinguish Shared & Unshared Electrons in Ammonia & CH2Cl2

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In summary, ammonia, also known as NH3, has 3 shared electrons and 2 unshared electrons. The presence of these unshared electrons causes a tetrahedral shape with a bond angle of 107 degrees. CH2Cl2, or dichloromethane, has both shared and unshared electrons due to the carbon atom forming two single bonds and having two unshared electrons. The presence of unshared electrons on the carbon atom contributes to the polarity of the molecule.
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gotzmlk
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Using the ammonia molecule as an example, distinguish between shared pairs and unshared pairs of electrons.




and

Ch2Cl2

drawing lewis dot. which one would be central.
 
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Bond pairs (shared pairs) of electrons are the electrons being shared between the atoms (i.e those involved in bonding). The lone pairs (unshared pairs) aren't involved in bonds but in some cases they can form dative covalent bonds where they are shared.
 
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Shared electrons are those that are involved in covalent bonds between two atoms. They are shared between two atoms and contribute to the stability of the molecule. In ammonia (NH3), there are three shared pairs of electrons between the central nitrogen atom and the three hydrogen atoms. These shared pairs are represented by the lines in the Lewis dot structure of ammonia.

Unshared electrons, also known as lone pairs, are those that are not involved in any covalent bonds and are located on the central atom. In ammonia, there is one unshared pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom. These electrons are not involved in bonding but contribute to the overall shape and polarity of the molecule.

In CH2Cl2, the central atom is carbon, and it forms four covalent bonds with two chlorine atoms and two hydrogen atoms. Therefore, there are four shared pairs of electrons in CH2Cl2. The chlorine atoms also have three unshared pairs of electrons each, while the carbon atom has no unshared pairs.

In terms of Lewis dot structure, the central atom in both ammonia and CH2Cl2 would be the one with the least electronegativity, which is nitrogen in ammonia and carbon in CH2Cl2. This is because these atoms are more likely to share electrons rather than attract them.
 

1. How does ammonia have shared and unshared electrons?

In ammonia, also known as NH3, the nitrogen atom has 5 valence electrons. Three of these electrons are used to form covalent bonds with the three hydrogen atoms, leaving two electrons unpaired. These unpaired electrons are considered unshared or lone pairs since they are not involved in bonding.

2. How many shared and unshared electrons does ammonia have?

Ammonia has 3 shared electrons, which form covalent bonds with the three hydrogen atoms. It also has 2 unshared electrons, which are not involved in bonding and are located on the nitrogen atom.

3. How do the shared and unshared electrons affect the shape of ammonia?

The presence of the unshared electrons on the nitrogen atom in ammonia creates a tetrahedral shape, with a bond angle of 107 degrees. The unshared electrons repel the bonded electrons, causing the hydrogen atoms to be pushed slightly downward from the nitrogen atom.

4. Does CH2Cl2 have shared or unshared electrons?

CH2Cl2, also known as dichloromethane, has both shared and unshared electrons. The carbon atom has 4 valence electrons, and each chlorine atom has 7 valence electrons. The carbon atom shares electrons with each chlorine atom, forming two single bonds. However, the carbon atom also has two unshared electrons, giving it a total of 8 valence electrons.

5. How do the shared and unshared electrons in CH2Cl2 affect its polarity?

The shared electrons in CH2Cl2 create polar covalent bonds, as chlorine is more electronegative than carbon. However, the unshared electrons on the carbon atom contribute to the overall polarity of the molecule, making it more polar than a molecule with only single bonds. The molecule has a net dipole moment, with the chlorine atoms being slightly more negative than the carbon atom.

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