Chemical Bonding: NH₂OH Lewis Structure

Drawing the Lewis Structure for NH₂OH

Viewing Notes:

• There are a total of 14 valence electrons in the NH₂OH Lewis structure.
• With NH₂OH you'll need to attach the -OH group to the central Carbon.
• Nitrogen (N) goes at the center of the NH₂OH since it is the least electronegative. Note that Hydrogen atoms always go on the outside of a Lewis structure.

Transcript: This is the NH2OH Lewis structure. Nitrogen has 5 valence electrons; we have 1 for Hydrogen, we have 2 Hydrogens; plus 6 for Oxygen and one for the Hydrogen on the end there for a total of 14 valence electrons. Nitrogen is the least electronegative, so that'll go in the center. We have these H2, so let's put those H's on either side. We know they go on the outside of Lewis structures. And then we see this OH up here. That means we're probably going to have an Oxygen, and then a Hydrogen attached to the Oxygen.

We have 14 valence electrons. We'll put 2 between atoms to form chemical bonds, so we've used a total of 8. Hydrogens only need 2 valence electrons to have a full outer shell, so they're OK. So we have 8, 10, 12, and then we'll go back to the central atom, 14. So we've used all 14 valence electrons. At this point in the NH2OH Lewis structure, all of the Hydrogens have 2 valence electrons. The Oxygen has 8, so its octet is full, and then the Nitrogen has 8 so its octet is full, as well.

So that's the Lewis structure for NH2OH. I'm Dr. B., and thanks for watching.