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)

Question

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

This indicates that the carbon atom is double bonded to each of the oxygen atoms. Carbon, which has 4 valence electrons, can form four bonds, while each oxygen atom, with 6 valence electrons, can form two bonds. In CO2, carbon uses its four valence electrons to form two double bonds with the two oxygen atoms, achieving a stable configuration.