Question

What is Lewis's contribution to our understanding of the covalent bond?

Short answer

Gilbert N. Lewis greatly contributed to our understanding of covalent bonds through his 'Lewis Dot Structures'. He proposed that atoms form covalent bonds by sharing electrons to complete their valence shell and achieve a stable noble gas configuration. His model is widely used to predict the structure, polarity, and reactivity of a molecule.

Step-by-step solution

Understand Covalent Bonds

Covalent bond is a chemical bond formed when two atoms share a pair of electrons. The presence of a shared pair of electrons in the valency shell of two atoms is the defining characteristic of a covalent bond.

Understand Lewis's Theory on Covalent bonds

Gilbert N. Lewis, in 1916, explained covalent bonding via his 'Lewis Dot Structures'. He proposed that atoms form bonds in order to complete their octet and reach a stable electronic configuration of a noble gas. This concept is also known as 'Octet Rule'. He demonstrated that shared electrons (represented by dots in the Lewis structures) between atoms result in a covalent bond.

Discuss the Impact of Lewis's Theory

Lewis's theory substantially contributed to the understanding of covalent bonds. His simple and visual representation method has helped to easily predict the structure of a molecule, its polarity, and its reactivity. His model affirmed the concept of electron sharing and emphasized the importance of the octet rule in covalent bonding.