Question 8.7: Draw the Lewis structure for carbon disulfide (CS2).

Draw the Lewis structure for carbon disulfide (CS₂).

Strategy Use the procedure described in steps 1 through 6 above for drawing Lewis structures.

Setup

Step 1: C and S have identical electronegativities. We will draw the skeletal structure with the unique atom, C, at the center.

S—C—S

Step 2: The total number of valence electrons is 16, six from each S atom and four from the C atom [2(6) + 4 = 16].

Step 3: Subtract four electrons to account for the bonds in the skeletal structure, leaving us 12 electrons to distribute.

Step 4: Distribute the 12 remaining electrons as three lone pairs on each S atom.

:\overset{..}{\underset{..}{S}}—C—\overset{..}{\underset{..}{S}}:

Step 5: There are no electrons remaining after step 4, so step 5 does not apply.

Step 6: To complete carbon’s octet, use one lone pair from each S atom to make a double bond to the C atom.