What would be the electron dot structure of carbon dioxide which has the formula `CO_(2)`?

Explanation

To draw the electron dot structure of carbon dioxide (CO₂), follow these steps:

### Step 1: Determine the Valence Electrons
- **Carbon (C)** has an atomic number of 6, with an electronic configuration of 1s² 2s² 2p². Therefore, carbon has **4 valence electrons** (2 from 2s and 2 from 2p).
- **Oxygen (O)** has an atomic number of 8, with an electronic configuration of 1s² 2s² 2p⁴. Therefore, oxygen has **6 valence electrons** (2 from 2s and 4 from 2p).

### Step 2: Arrange the Atoms
- In CO₂, carbon is the central atom because it can form more bonds than oxygen. The structure will be O - C - O.
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