3F.5 b

[rachel liu 3k]

please reply to this by quoting my question so i get a notification. thanks in advance!
how do you know to draw C2H5OC2H5 like the diagram below and not with 2 H attached to the Oxgen? Because that would dramatically increase the melting and boiling points due to the fact that now there are two potential locations for hydrogen bonds?

[Pegah Nasseri 1K]

Hydrogens are most often bonded to carbons when drawing lewis structures. Other than this, you can figure it out by looking at the formal charge. If the 2 hydrogens are bonded to the oxygen, the oxygen would have a formal charge of 2 and the carbons at the end of the structure would have formal charges of -1. So attaching the hydrogens to the oxygen would not produce the most stable, lowest energy lewis structure.

[rachel liu 3k]

Hydrogens are most often bonded to carbons when drawing lewis structures. Other than this, you can figure it out by looking at the formal charge. If the 2 hydrogens are bonded to the oxygen, the oxygen would have a formal charge of 2 and the carbons at the end of the structure would have formal charges of -1. So attaching the hydrogens to the oxygen would not produce the most stable, lowest energy lewis structure.

Ahhh thanks so much!