Drawing Molecular Structures

[Yazmin Bocanegra 3L]

When drawing molecular structures, how can you tell when to draw a line (covalent bond), a shaded triangle, and dashes?

[Michelle Xie 2B]

The solid triangle represents the atom coming out of the page towards you. The dashed lines represent the atom going away from you into the page. Lines are used to draw atoms that are on the same plane as the paper. The other two symbols are when the atoms come out of the plane.

[Claire Lo 3C]

You determine the VSEPR structure of the molecule first. Then you can use lines to represent atoms on the same plane with the paper, solid triangles as atoms coming towards you, and dashed lines as atoms going away from you.

[Jade Hinds 2B]

anyone have an example of this? I'm still practicing drawing the structures

[andrewcj 2C]

It's important to remember that the shaded/dashed triangles still represent bonds, just they help show a 3D shape in 2D.

[RRahimtoola1I]

Will we need to know how to draw the molecular structures in this way for the test?

[Sanjana Munagala_1j]

As long as you are able to identify the VSEPR shape you should be more than fine. Professor Lavelle jokingly repeated in lecture that he was not going to test us on our artistic abilities.
Hope that helps!

[305416361]

The lines represent bonds that are to the side or up/down, the shaded triangle symbolizes a bond that is going forward (towards you), and the dashes represent bonds that are going backwards (away from you). However, for the purpose of this class, we don't need to draw them that specifically, we can just use lines for all bonds as long as we correctly identify the shape/structure.

[Megan Ngai- 3B]

Lavelle said to just know how to name them.