Use your knowledge of valence electrons and how they affect bonds to figure out how carbon (Group

Question

14) and oxygen (Group 16) would be attached to one another. In carbon dioxide (CO ), how is the
compound structured? (Use “–” to represent a single bond and “=” to represent a double bond.)
(1 point)
2
O=C=O
C=O–O
C–O–O
O=C–O

Answer 1

In carbon dioxide (CO₂), the structure of the compound is represented as:

O=C=O

This structure indicates that the carbon atom forms two double bonds with the two oxygen atoms. Carbon, which has 4 valence electrons, and oxygen, which has 6 valence electrons, effectively share electrons to satisfy their bonding requirements and achieve a stable electron configuration.