In any subject there is always a language to learn. In chemistry the language is much like a spoken language, with elements being the alphabet and molecular structures the words. Reactions will eventually be the sentences, but for now, you will need to learn the proper way to simply write the words. G. N. Lewis created a process called Lewis Structures which gives us a step-by-step way to construct molecular models of any chemical, covalent or ionic. Lewis Structures are based on the concept that every atom is most stable when its electron configuration matches that of the nearest noble gas. This is often called "the octet rule". Using this octet rule, you should be able to construct good molecular models.

Because Lewis Structures are conceptualized at the molecular level, we are not going to be able to do a "wet lab" that would help us understand this concept. Rather this lab experiment will be used as a workshop to practice your drawing of molecular strucures. In the lab itself you will complete a worksheet that requires you to draw and analyze models of several inorganic compounds. Additionally, you will be using a new device called a protractor to determine the bond angles of the resulting molecular structures.