Lewis Dot Structure Calculator

Chemistry Lewis Dot Structure Calculator
Lewis Dot Structure Calculator

‪Molecule Shapes‬ - PhET Interactive Simulations. Lewis Dot Structure Calculator - groovylasopa. Lewis Dot Structures. This demo will convert a skeletal figure, provided by a drawing in the HTML5 SketcherCanvas component on the left, into a Lewis Dot Structure in the Canvas on the right. When you are finished drawing your 2D structure, click on the Get Lewis Dot Structure button to see the result.

Every chemistry student has to learn how to draw Lewis Dot Structures. The key is to understand the steps and practice.

Lewis Structures are important to learn because they help us predict:

the shape of a molecule.
how the molecule might react with other molecules.
the physical properties of the molecule (like boiling point, surface tension, etc.).

That helps us understand and predict interactions with things like medicine and our body, materials used to make buildings and airplanes, and all sorts of other substances. Lewis structures don't tell us everything, but along with molecule geometry and polarity they are hugely informative.

Search 100+ Lewis Structures on our site.
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Chemistry Lewis Dot Structure Calculator

Click the Chemical Formula to see the Lewis Structure

Acetone	(C₃H₆O)
AsCl₃	(Arsenic Trichloride)
AsF₃	(Arsenic Trifluoride)
AsF₅	(Arsenic Pentafluoride)
AsF₆^-	(AsF₆^-)
AsH₃	(Arsenic Trihydride)
AsO₃^3-	(Arsenite Ion)
BBr₃	(Boron Tribromide)
BCl₃	(Boron Trichloride)
BF₃	(Boron Trichloride)
BF₄^-	(Tetrafluoroborate Ion)
BH₃	(Boron Hydride)
BH₄^-	(BH₄^-)
B(OH)₃	(B(OH)₃)
BeCl₂	(Beryllium Chloride)
BeF₂	(Beryllium Fluoride)
BeH₂	(Beryllium Hydride)
Br₂	(Bromine Gas or Elemental Bromine)
Br₃^-	(Tribromide Ion)
BrF	(Bromine Monofluoride)
BrF₂	(Bromine Difluoride)
BrCl₃	(Bromine Trichloride)
BrF₃	(Bromine Trifluoride)
BrF₅	(Bromine Pentafluoride)
BrO^-	(Hypobromite Ion)
BrO₂^-	(Bromite Ion)
BrO₃^-	(Bromate Ion)
C₂^2-	(Dicarbide Ion)
CBr₄	(Carbon Tetabromide)
CCl₄	(Carbon Tetachloride)
ClF	(Chlorine Monofluoride)
CF₂Cl₂	(Dichlorodifluoromethane)
CH₂Cl₂	(CH₂Cl₂)
CH₃^-	(CH₃^-)
CH₃Br	(CH₃Br)
CH₃Cl	(Chloromethane or Methyl Chloride)
CH₃CN	(Acetonitril or Methyl Cyanide)
CH₃COO^-	CH₃COO^-
CH₃COOH	(Acetic Acid)
CH₃F	(CH₃F)
CH₃NH₂	(Methylamine)
CH₃NO₂	(CH₃NO₂)
CH₃OCH₃	(Dimethyl Ether or Methoxymethane)
CH₃OH	(Methanol or Methyl Alcohol)
CH₄	(Methane)
C₂F₄	(C₂F₄)
C₂H₂	(Ethyne or Acetylene)
C₂H₂Br₂	(C₂H₂Br₂)
C₂H₂Cl₂	(C₂H₂Cl₂)
C₂H₄	(Ethene)
C₂H₆	(Ethane)
C₂H₆O	C₂H₆O
C₃H₆	(C₃H₆)
C₃H₈	(Propane)
C₄H₁₀	(Butane)
C₆H₆	(Isomers - including Benzene)
C₆H₁₂	(C₆H₁₂)
CHCl₃	(Chloromethane)
CH₂F₂	(Difluoromethane)
CH₂O	(Methanal or Formaldehyde)
CH₄O	(CH₄O)
Cl₂	(Chlorine Gas or Elemental Chlorine)
Cl₂CO	(Cl₂CO)
Cl₂O	(Dichlorine Monoxide)
Cl₃PO	(Phosphoryl Trichloride)
ClF₃	(Chlorine Trifluoride)
ClF₅	(Chlorine Tetrafluoride)
ClO^-	(Hypochlorite Ion)
ClO₂	(Chlorine Dioxide)
ClO₂^-	(Chlorite Ion)
ClO₃^-	(Chlorate Ion)
ClO₄^-	(Perchlorate Ion)
CO	(Carbon monoxide)
CO₂	(Carbon Dioxide)
CO₃^2-	(Carbonate Ion)
COCl₂	(COCl₂)
COF₂	(COF₂)
COH₂	(COH₂)
CN^-	(Cyanide Anion)
CS₂	(Carbon Disulfide)
F₂	(Fluorine Gas, Difluorine)
H₂	(Hydrogen Gas or Elemental Hydrogen)
H₂CO	(Formaldehyde or Methanal)
H₂CO₃	(Carbonic Acid)
H₂O	(Water or Dihydrogen monoxide)
H₃O⁺	(Hydronium Ion)
H₂O₂	(Hydrogen Peroxide or Dihydrogen Dioxide)
HBr	(Hydrogen Bromide or Hydrobromic Acid)
HF	(Hydrogen Fluoride or Hydrofluoric Acid)
HCCH	(Ethyne)
HCl	(Hydrogen Chloride or Hydrochloric Acid)
HCO₂^-	(Formate Ion)
HCO₃^-	(Hydrogen Carbonate Ion or Bicarbonate Ion)
HCOOH	(Methanoic Acid or Formic Acid)
HI	(Hydrogen Iodide or Hydroiodic Acid)
HClO₃	(Chloric Acid)
HCN	(Hydrogen Cyanide)
HNO₂	(Nitrous Acid)
HNO₃	(Nitric Acid)
H₂S	(Dihydrogen Sulfide)
HOCl	(Hypochlorous Acid)
H₂Se	(Dihydrogen Selenide)
HSO₃^-	(Bisulfite Ion)
HSO₄^-	(Bisulfate Ion)
H₂SO₃	(Sulfurous Acid)
H₂SO₄	(Sulfuric Acid)
H₃PO₄	(Phosphoric Acid)
I₂	(Iodine Gas or Elemental Iodine)
I₃^-	(I₃^-)
IBr₂^-	(IBr₂^-)
ICl	(Iodine Chloride)
ICl₂^-	(ICl₂^-)
ICl₃	(ICl₃)
ICl₄^-	(ICl₄^-)
ICl₅	(Iodine Pentachloride)
IF₂^-	(IF₂^-)
IF₃	(Iodine Trifluoride)
IF₄^-	(IF₄^-)
IF₅	(Iodine Pentafluoride)
IO₃^-	(Iodate Ion)
IO₄^-	(Perioiodate Ion)
N₂	(Nitrogen Gas, also called Elemental Nitrogen)
N₃^-	(Azide Ion)
N₂F₂	(Dinitrogen Difluoride)
N₂H₂	(Dinitrogen Dihydride)
N₂H₄	(Dinitrogen Tetrahydride or Hydrazine or Diamine)
N₂O₃	(Dinitrogen Trioxide)
N₂O₄	(Dinitrogen Tetroxide)
N₂O₅	(Dinitrogen Pentoxide)
NCl₃	(Nitrogen Trichloride)
NF₃	(Nitrogen Trifluoride)
NH₂^-	(NH₂^-)
NH₂Cl	(Chloroamine)
NH₂OH	(Hydroxylamine)
NH₃	(Ammonium or Nitrogen Trihydride)
NH₄⁺	(Ammonium Ion)
NI₃	(Nitrogen Triiodide)
NO⁺	(Nitrosonium Ion)
NO	(Nitric Oxide or Nitrogen Monoxide)
N₂O	(Nitrous Oxide or Dinitrogen Monoxide)
NO₂	(Nitrogen Dioxide)
NO₂^-	(Nitrite Ion)
NO₂Cl	(NO₂Cl)
NO₂F	(NO₂F)
NO₃^-	(Nitrate Ion)
NOBr	(Nitrosyl Bromide)
NOCl	(Nitrosyl Chloride)
NOF	(Nitrosyl Fluoride)
O₂	(Oxygen Gas, also called Elemental Oxygen)
O₂^2-	(Perioxide Ion)
O₃	(Ozone)
O₃	O₃ Resonance Structures
OCl₂	(OCl₂)
OCN^-	(Cyanate Ion)
OCS	(OCS)
OF₂	(Oxygen Difluoride)
OH^-	(Hydroxide Ion)
PBr₃	Phosphorus Tribromide
PBr₅	Phosphorus Pentabromide
PCl₃	Phosphorus Trichloride
PCl₄^-	PCl₄^-
PCl₅	Phosphorus Pentachloride
PF₃	Phosphorus Trifluoride
PF₅	Phosphorus Pentafluoride
PF₆^-	Hexafluorophosphate Ion
PH₃	Phosphorus Trihydride
POCl₃	Phosphoryl Chloride or Phosphorus Oxychloride
PO₃^3-	(Phosphite Ion)
PO₄^3-	(Phosphate Ion)
SBr₂	(Sulfur Dibromide)
SCl₂	(Sulfur Dichloride)
SCl₄	(Sulfur Tetrachloride)
SCN^-	(Thiocyanate)
SeF₄	(Selenium Tetrafluoride)
SeF₆	(Selenium Hexafluoride)
SeO₂	(Selenium Dioxide)
SF₂	(Sulfur Difluoride)
SF₄	(Sulfur Tetrafluoride)
SF₆	(Sulfur Hexafluoride)
S₂Cl₂	(Diulfur Dichloride)
SiCl₄	(Silicon Tetrachloride)
SiF₄	(Silicon Tetrafluoride)
SiF₆^2-	(Silicon Hexafluoride Ion)
SiH₄	(Silicon Tetrahydride)
SiO₂	(Silicon Dioxide)
SnCl₂	(Tin (II) Chloride)
SOCl₂	(SOCl₂)
SO₂	(Sulfur Dioxide)
SO₃	(Sulfur Dioxide)
SO₃^2-	(Sulfite Ion)
SO₄^2-	(Sulfate Ion)
Water	(H₂O)
XeCl₄	Xenon Tetrachloride
XeF₂	XeF₂
XeF₄	Xenon Tetrafluoride
XeF₆	Xenon Hexafluoride
XeH₄	XeO₄
XeO₃	XeO₃
XeO₂F₂	XeO₂F₂

Steps for Writing Lewis Structures

Find the total valence electrons for the molecule. Explain How Examples: H₂S, NCl₃, OH^-

Put the least electronegative atom in the center.
Note: H always goes outside.
Examples: NOCl, CF₂Cl₂, HCN

Put two electrons between atoms to form a chemical bond. Examples: CH₄, NH₃, I₂

Complete octets on outside atoms.
Note: H only needs two valence electrons.

If central atom does not have an octet, move electrons from outer atoms to form double or triple bonds.
Examples: O₂, N₂, C₂H₄

Advanced Steps

If you have extra electrons after the above steps add them to the central atom. Note: elements in the Period Three (usually S, P, or Xe) can have more than eight valence electrons.
Examples: ClF₃, SF₄,XeH₄

Check the Formal Charges to make sure you have the best Lewis Structure. Explain How
Examples: SO₄^2-, N₂O, XeO₃

Notable Exceptions to the Octet Rule

H only needs 2 valence electrons.
Be and B don’t need 8 valence electrons.
S and P sometimes have more than 8 val. Electrons.
Elements in Period Three, Four, etc (on the periodic table) can hold more than 8 valence electrons.