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Elements, Compounds and Mixtures

Dot and cross diagrams, and the limits of models

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 9 (Chemistry)

Overview

Why dots and crosses are used, the diagrams for hydrogen chloride, oxygen, methane, sodium chloride and magnesium oxide, and what dot and cross, ball and stick and flat drawings each fail to show.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Why are dots used for the electrons of one atom and crosses for the electrons of the other?

Key term

In a dot and cross diagram of hydrogen chloride, how many electrons are shared and which atoms supply them?

Key term

How does a dot and cross diagram of an ionic compound differ from one of a covalent molecule?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Why are dots used for the electrons of one atom and crosses for the electrons of the other?

    Model answer

    To show which atom each electron came from, even though in reality all electrons are identical.

  2. 2

    In a dot and cross diagram of hydrogen chloride, how many electrons are shared and which atoms supply them?

    Model answer

    Two electrons are shared, one from the hydrogen atom and one from the chlorine atom, making a single covalent bond.

  3. 3

    What would a dot and cross diagram of an oxygen molecule show?

    Model answer

    It would show two oxygen atoms sharing two pairs of electrons as a double bond, with two non-bonding pairs left on each atom.

  4. 4

    What would a dot and cross diagram of methane show?

    Model answer

    It would show a central carbon atom sharing one pair of electrons with each of four hydrogen atoms, giving four single covalent bonds.

  5. 5

    How does a dot and cross diagram of an ionic compound differ from one of a covalent molecule?

    Model answer

    The ionic diagram shows separate ions written in square brackets with their charges and no shared electrons, while the covalent one shows overlapping outer shells containing shared pairs.

  6. 6

    What would a dot and cross diagram of sodium chloride show?

    Model answer

    It would show a sodium ion with an empty outer shell and a single positive charge, and a chloride ion with eight outer electrons and a single negative charge, each drawn in square brackets.

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