The formal charge can be calculated by using the formula:. The best Lewis structure for any molecule should have each atom with a formal charge of 0. If possible, convert lone pairs into double or triple bonds depending on the stability of the molecule.Īs a last resort, we should always check the formal charge of each atom and make sure that it is the lowest possible. Now we fill in the remaining valence electrons so that each atom has completed its octet which makes the overall molecule stable. Now we start drawing chemical bonds between the central atom and the surrounding atoms.
Next, we need to identify the central atom of the molecule. The first and foremost step is to count the total number of valence electrons of the molecule. Let us check out the steps one should follow for drawing the Lewis structure:. The Lewis structure of IF3 shows that I is surrounded by 2 lone pairs of electrons and forms 3 single bonds with each of the F atoms. As you already know, valence electrons are used to draw the Lewis structures of any molecule. Before we begin to learn the steps for drawing Lewis structure let’s see the Lewis structure of IF3.
