Drawing the Lewis Structure for CS2

For the CS2 Lewis structure, calculate the total number of valence electrons for the CS2 molecule. After determining how many valence electrons there are in CS2, place them around the central atom to complete the octets.

There are 16 valence electrons for the CS2 Lewis structure. Carbon is the least electronegative atom and goes in the center of this structure.

The Lewis structure for CS2 requires you have double bonds between the Carbon (C) and Sulfur atoms in order to fill the octet of Carbon.



Transcript: Hi, this is Dr. B. Let's do the Lewis structure for CS2. On the periodic table, Carbon's in group 4, sometimes called 14, so it has 4 valence electrons. Sulfur in group 6 or 16, it has 6. We have two Sulfurs so let's multiply that by 2. Four plus 12: 16 valence electrons. Let's draw it.

Carbon, the least electronegative, goes in the center and then we'll put the Sulfurs on either side here. Now we want to add our valence electrons. Remember, we've got 16 to work with. We'll put 2 between the atoms and then we'll put them on the outside. So we have 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16. We've used those 16 up. Let's see if we have octets. Eight on that Sulfur, eight on that Sulfur, those have full outer shells; but in the middle, Carbon only has 4. So we've got to fix that. We can take and move valence electrons between atoms and share them so this Sulfur has 8 now, still, but the Carbon has 6.

We're almost there. Let's share this side here to be symmetrical. Now, again, we have 8 on that Sulfur, but the Carbon now has an octet. It's stable, and its octet is satisfied, and we've used only the valence electrons that we had available. So we have this structure here, and we can also write it as what is called a structural formula. That's going to look like this right here. With the structural formula, a line represents a pair of electrons. So we have two pair of electrons here, and we have these two lines here.

That's the Lewis structure for CS2. This is Dr. B., and thank you for watching.