Question

Use your knowledge of valence electrons and how they affect bonds to figure out how carbon (Group 14) and oxygen (Group 16) would be attached to one another. In carbon dioxide (CO2), how is the compound structured? (Use “–” to represent a single bond and “=” to represent a double bond.)(1 point) Responses C–O–O C–O–O O=C–O O=C–O C=O–O C=O–O O=C=O

Answer 1

In carbon dioxide (CO2), the correct structure is represented as O=C=O.

Here's the reasoning:

• Carbon (C) has 4 valence electrons and needs 4 more to achieve a stable octet, while oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons and needs 2 more.
• To achieve this, carbon forms double bonds with each oxygen atom in CO2.
• This results in a linear structure with double bonds between carbon and each oxygen.

Therefore, the correct representation is O=C=O.