C2F6 Lewis structure

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C2F6 Lewis Structure
C2F6 Lewis structure

C2F6 (hexafluoroethane) has two carbon atoms and six fluorine atoms.

In C2F6 Lewis structure, there is a single bond between the two carbon atoms, and each carbon is attached with three fluorine atoms. And on each fluorine atom, there are three lone pairs.

Steps

Here’s how you can easily draw the C2F6 Lewis structure step by step:

#1 Draw a rough skeleton structure
#2 Mention lone pairs on the atoms
#3 If needed, mention formal charges on the atoms

Now, let’s take a closer look at each step mentioned above.

#1 Draw a rough skeleton structure

  • First, determine the total number of valence electrons
Periodic table

In the periodic table, carbon lies in group 14, and fluorine lies in group 17.

Hence, carbon has four valence electrons and fluorine has seven valence electrons.

Since C2F6 has two carbon atoms and six fluorine atoms, so…

Valence electrons of two carbon atoms = 4 × 2 = 8
Valence electrons of six fluorine atoms = 7 × 6 = 42

And the total valence electrons = 8 + 42 = 50

  • Second, find the total electron pairs

We have a total of 50 valence electrons. And when we divide this value by two, we get the value of total electron pairs.

Total electron pairs = total valence electrons ÷ 2

So the total electron pairs = 50 ÷ 2 = 25

  • Third, determine the central atom

We have to place the least electronegative atom at the center.

Since carbon is less electronegative than fluorine, assume that the central atom is carbon.

Here, there are two carbon atoms, so we can assume any one as the central atom.

Let’s assume that the central atom is right carbon.

Therefore, place carbons in the center and fluorines on either side.

  • And finally, draw the rough sketch
C2F6 Lewis Structure (Step 1)
Rough sketch of C2F6 Lewis structure

#2 Mention lone pairs on the atoms

Here, we have a total of 25 electron pairs. And seven bonds are already marked. So we have to only mark the remaining eighteen electron pairs as lone pairs on the sketch.

Also remember that both (carbon and fluorine) are the period 2 elements, so they can not keep more than 8 electrons in their last shell.

Always start to mark the lone pairs from outside atoms. Here, the outside atoms are fluorines and left carbon.

So for each fluorine, there are three lone pairs, and for both carbons, there is zero lone pair because all eighteen electron pairs are over.

Mark the lone pairs on the sketch as follows:

C2F6 Lewis Structure (Step 2)
Lone pairs marked, and got the stable Lewis structure of C2F6

#3 If needed, mention formal charges on the atoms

Use the following formula to calculate the formal charges on atoms:

Formal charge = valence electrons – nonbonding electrons – ½ bonding electrons

For each carbon atom, formal charge = 4 – 0 – ½ (8) = 0

For each fluorine atom, formal charge = 7 – 6 – ½ (2) = 0

Here, the atoms do not have charges, so no need to mark the charges.

In the above structure, you can see that the central atom (right carbon) forms an octet. And the outside atoms (left carbon and fluorines) also form an octet. Hence, the octet rule is satisfied.

Therefore, this structure is the stable Lewis structure of C2F6.

Next: C2H5Br Lewis structure

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Deep

Learnool.com was founded by Deep Rana, who is a mechanical engineer by profession and a blogger by passion. He has a good conceptual knowledge on different educational topics and he provides the same on this website. He loves to learn something new everyday and believes that the best utilization of free time is developing a new skill.

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