Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: Nahughes89 on May 29, 2022, 01:55:27 PM
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In the Lewis diagram of 2-propanol, the two hydrogens to the left and right of the oxygen are bonded to the carbons below them. Why did they bond to the carbons and not the oxygen?
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How many bonds can oxygen, carbon and hydrogen form?
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Carbon can form 4 bonds, which will use up all of its valence electrons before oxygen will.
Scratch that. With 4 other atoms single bonded to a carbon, it will satisfy the octet rule before oxygen will.
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Carbon can make 4, hydrogen 1, oxygen 6.
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Can you explain how oxygen satisfies the octet rule in this instance?
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It doesn't. That's why I thought the hydrogen bonded to the carbon. Carbon has 4 valence electrons. Allowing the carbon to bond to the hydrogen next to the oxygen results in the carbons octet being fulfilled. 4 electrons shared from the surrounding H's, 4 valence electrons in the carbon, for a total of 8. (Edit- this isn't accurate either. I'm on my phone at the moment and will respond on my pc when I get home.)
Afterwards, I figured I was wrong, which is why I commented again with the numbers of bonds each of the atoms in the molecule can make.
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Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine all follow the octet rule. I wonder whether or not you are neglecting to think about lone pairs of electrons.