lowest energy

[Deena Doan 2F]

Hi,
What does it mean when it says to draw the lowest energy lewis structure?

[jeffreygong1I]

I think it just means the lewis structure with the smallest formal charges on each atom.

[Sarah Blake-2I]

This means trying to get the formal charges of the atoms in the lewis structure to 0. If the molecule has a charge such as 2-, then you are trying to make that 2- charge by getting more of the atoms to be 0 FC and having the least possible amount of atoms contribute to the 2- charge if that makes sense. It is basically just altering the formal charge until you get the lowest energy structure.

[Nikki Razal 1L]

^^ the central atom/all atoms would have a formal charge of 0; basically the lowest energy lewis structure will be the lewis structure with the overall formal charge closest to zero

[Callum Guo 1H]

I think it just means the one that is the most stable (lowest formal charges on the atoms)

[Liliana Aguas 3G]

I understand how to draw the structure with the lowest energy and that ir represents the lowest formal charge, but what does it mean to have lower energy? Like lower energy compared to what or for what? Why do you need the structure with the lowest energy?