Ethylene lewis structure

The Lewis structure of ethylene (C2H4) can be drawn by following the octet rule, which states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a full outer electron shell with eight electrons. Here's how you can draw the Lewis structure for ethylene:

Start by placing the carbon atoms next to each other. Ethylene consists of two carbon atoms.

H

|

C=C

|

H

Determine the number of valence electrons for each atom. Carbon has 4 valence electrons, and hydrogen has 1. In ethylene, there are two carbon atoms and four hydrogen atoms, so the total number of valence electrons is:

2 (C) x 4 (electrons each) + 4 (H) x 1 (electron each) = 8 electrons

Connect the carbon atoms with a double bond (two shared pairs of electrons).

H

|

C=C

|

H

Distribute the remaining electrons around the atoms to satisfy the octet rule. Each hydrogen atom should have a full outer shell with two electrons, and each carbon atom should have a full outer shell with eight electrons.

H H

|  /

C=C

The Lewis structure shows that each carbon atom is double-bonded to the other, and each carbon atom also has a hydrogen atom attached. The overall structure satisfies the octet rule for each atom, and the total number of valence electrons is accounted for.