Which of the following is the Lewis structure of `O_2` molecule?

Options

A.
B.
C.
D.

Answer

To determine the Lewis structure of the O₂ (oxygen) molecule, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Count the total number of valence electrons.
- Each oxygen atom has 6 valence electrons.
- Since there are 2 oxygen atoms in the O₂ molecule, the total number of valence electrons is:
\[ 6 \text{ (from O)} \times 2 = 12 \text{ valence electrons} \]

### Step 2: Determine the number of required electrons to complete the octet.
- Each oxygen atom needs 8 electrons to complete its octet.
- Therefore, for 2 oxygen atoms, the total number of required electrons is:
\[ 8 \text{ (required for one O)} \times 2 = 16 \text{ required electrons} \]

### Step 3: Calculate the number of bonding electrons.
- The number of bonding electrons can be calculated by subtracting the total valence electrons from the required electrons:
\[ 16 \text{ (required electrons)} - 12 \text{ (valence electrons)} = 4 \text{ bonding electrons} \]
- This means there will be 2 bond pairs in the Lewis structure.

### Step 4: Calculate the number of non-bonding electrons.
- The number of non-bonding electrons can be calculated by subtracting the number of bonding electrons from the total valence electrons:
\[ 12 \text{ (total valence electrons)} - 4 \text{ (bonding electrons)} = 8 \text{ non-bonding electrons} \]
- Since there are 8 non-bonding electrons, this means there will be 4 lone pairs (2 lone pairs on each oxygen atom).

### Step 5: Draw the Lewis structure.
- Start by placing the two oxygen atoms next to each other.
- Place the 4 lone pairs (8 non-bonding electrons) around each oxygen atom:
- Oxygen 1: 4 electrons (2 lone pairs)
- Oxygen 2: 4 electrons (2 lone pairs)
- Then, add the 4 bonding electrons (2 bond pairs) between the two oxygen atoms to complete their octets:
- Each oxygen now has 8 electrons around it (4 from lone pairs and 4 from bonding).

### Conclusion:
The correct Lewis structure for the O₂ molecule shows that there are two oxygen atoms connected by a double bond (2 bond pairs), with each oxygen atom having 2 lone pairs of electrons.