2007-01-22 11:52:55 · 2 answers · asked by zakk 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Look on the periodic table. If in the first column it has one electron and you write the abbreviation with one dot on it. The same goes for the second column: two dots around the abbreviation. The elements in the middle you won't learn until later. But the columns starting with the one that has B in it you start up again. Ex. B has 3 dots, C has 4, N has 5 and so on. If it is an ion put it in parentheses and the number of electrons on top.
2007-01-22 12:05:13 · answer #1 · answered by Froggiesmiles 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Lewis Dot notation is a way of describing the outer shell (also called the valence shell) of an atom's electrons. Dots are drawn around the elements symbol to represent the electrons in the valence shell of the atom. "
So, an example: Helium has two electrons in an s orbital. Therefore, TWO dots.
2007-01-22 12:02:32 · answer #2 · answered by accciobrain 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋