Chemical Bonding: SiO₂ Lewis Structure

Drawing the Lewis Structure for SiO₂

Viewing Notes:

• The Lewis structure for SiO₂ is fairly straightforward. You will need to create double bonds to acheive octets for all of the atoms.
• Si is the least electronegative atom and goes at the center of the Lewis structure.
• For the SiO₂ Lewis structure you have a total of 16 valence electrons.

Transcript: Hi, this is Dr. B. Let's do the SiO2 Lewis structure. On the periodic table, Si is in group 4, it has 4 valence electrons. Oxygen has 6, but we have two Oxygens, for a total of 16 valence electrons. We'll put the Si in the center and then the Oxygens on either side. We'll put two electrons between atoms to form bonds, and the rest around the outside atoms. Two, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16.

The Oxygens both have eight valence electrons, but the Si only has four. So we need to do something to fix that. What we can do is move two electrons from out here and put them between the Si and the O to share—create a double bond. Now the Si has six, and the Oxygen still has eight. We're almost there. Let's move two more, like this. And now this Oxygen has eight, but the Si has eight, as well, and this Oxygen has eight. So we've used all 16 of our valence electrons, and we've given octets to each of the atoms in the SiO2 molecule.

So this is the correct structure for SiO2. This is Dr. B., and thanks for watching.