Lewis structure

[Joanna Huang]

Is there a way to tell which is an ionic and which is a covalent, or even an acid, based off the lewis structure alone? Thank you!

[Gigi Elizarraras 2C]

The way I typically tell is by looking at the molecule and comparing the distance of the two atoms connected on the periodic table. Atoms close together on the periodic table are typically ionic, and those far away are typically covalent:)

[Arnav Saud 2C]

You can tell if something is ionic or covalent with a variety of ways. The main way is to use your periodic table and know the electronegativity trends. The greater the distance between two elements in a bond, the more likely the bond is going to be ionic/polar. Additionally, when drawing lewis structures, if you can figure out the shape of the element, you can then figure out the dipole moments to determine if a structure is polar/nonpolar.

[Margia Adriano 2A]

Hi! You should be able to tell whether a compound is ionic or covalent with a Lewis Structure. If the Lewis Structure shows shared electrons (such as single bonds or double bonds), it should be a covalent bond. Lewis Structures for ionic compounds look a little bit different in that the individual atoms are drawn separately with nothing connecting them, if that makes sense. As for acids and bases, I'm not too sure, but it might have something to do with the Lewis theory of acids and bases and coordinate covalent bonds, where acid/base is determined by whether it accepts or donates electrons. I'm not too sure if you can tell this just by looking at a structure. I hope this helps!

[Jasmine Ho 3I]

I believe you can only tell if something can be an acid or base by looking at the Lewis structure. A base has an extra lone pair and an acid can accept a lone pair because it is electron deficient (ex. H+ ion or BF3). As for covalent vs. ionic, you would have to have an idea of their relative electronegativity values, which requires you knowing their locations on the periodic table most of the time.

[Armen_Isayan_2L]

Hello! The method which I typically utilize to determine if the bonds distanced between the atoms in the molecule or covalent or ionic, is by determining the space found between the atoms on the actual periodic table. For instance, for the atoms which are close, they are usually ioninc bonds, however, for those atoms which are farther they are usually identified as covalent bonds.

[Algernon Jackson 2l]

You can typically tell my the elements distance on the periodic table. The farther the distance, the more ionic and the closer, the more covalent.

[Hannah Alltucker 3L]

The best way to tell is based on electronegativity. If the difference is larger that 1.5, the molecule will tend to be ionic. If it is less than 1.5 the electrons will be shared more evenly and therefore it will be more covalent. Once you start to memorize some of the trends, such as electronegativity increasing across the periodic table but decreasing down it, you can start to make founded assumptions as to what each molecule will be based on the two atoms's locations on the periodic table.

[cadytran1K]

Hi! What has worked for me is referring to my periodic table. I know that elements that are closer to each other on the periodic table are ionic and elements further away are covalent. Hope this helps!

[Bai Rong Lin 2K]

Is there a way to tell which is an ionic and which is a covalent, or even an acid, based off the lewis structure alone? Thank you!

The elements distance can be a factor! where if it's further away from each other it can be ionic and closer be covalent.

[Hasan Mirza 3F]

Always keep a periodic table handy. The distance between atoms on the table is the best way to determine differences in electronegativity which helps determine the bond type.

[Emily Wan 1l]

Looking at the difference in electronegativity between two atoms should be the most helpful way to deduce the type of bond they would form. I believe the standard measure is that if the electronegativity difference between two atoms is greater than 1.7, an ionic bond would be formed.

[Samantha Quevedo 2L]

Hello!
To be honest I am also unsure if you can determine if a molecule has ionic or covalent bonds based off the lewis structure. However I know that looking at a periodic table can help with this! The larger the difference in electronegativity then it will be an ionic bonds. If there is a small difference in electronegativity (less than 1.5) then its a covalent bond.

[Santiago Chang 2K]

If a lewis structure shows bonds, indicating shared electrons, then the bond is covalent. Ionic bonds are typically shown as two separate molecules in brackets with their charge placed next to each other. Hope this helps!