Cl Lewis structure

Cl (chlorine) has one chlorine atom.

In the Cl Lewis structure, there are three lone pairs and one unpaired electron on the chlorine atom.

Alternative method: Lewis structure of Cl

Rough sketch

• First, determine the total number of valence electrons

In the periodic table, chlorine lies in group 17. Hence, chlorine has seven valence electrons.

Since Cl has one chlorine atom, so…

Valence electrons of one chlorine atom = 7 × 1 = 7

So the total valence electrons = 7

Learn how to find: Chlorine valence electrons

• Second, find the total electron pairs

We have a total of 7 valence electrons. And when we divide this value by two, we get the value of total electron pairs.

But 7 can not be divided by two. Hence, there are a total of 3 electron pairs and one unpaired electron.

• Third, determine the central atom

There is only one atom present here, so assume that the central atom is chlorine.

• And finally, draw the rough sketch

Lone pair

Here, we have 3 electron pairs and one unpaired electron. So we have to mark these three electron pairs and one unpaired electron as lone pairs on the sketch.

Also remember that chlorine is a period 3 element, so it can keep more than 8 electrons in its last shell.

Always start to mark the lone pairs from outside atoms. But here, there is no outside atom. So for chlorine, there are three lone pairs and one unpaired electron.

Mark the lone pairs on the sketch as follows:

Formal charge

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

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

For chlorine atom, formal charge = 7 – 7 – ½ (0) = 0

Here, the chlorine atom does not have charge, so no need to mark the charge.

Final structure

The final structure of Cl consists of a single chlorine atom that exists as a neutral radical. In this state, the chlorine atom has seven valence electrons, meaning it possesses three lone pairs and one unpaired electron. Because this species has not formed a chemical bond, it does not satisfy the octet rule on its own, making it a highly reactive radical. This distribution results in a formal charge of zero, representing the most stable and accurate Lewis representation of the chlorine atom in its elemental, atomic form.

Next: Lewis structure of Cl^–

External video

• Lewis Dot Structure for Chlorine Atom (Cl) – YouTube • Wayne Breslyn

External links

• https://socratic.org/questions/what-are-all-the-lewis-symbols-for-cl