Introduction

In any subject there is always a language to learn. In chemistry the language uses elements as the alphabet and compounds as the words. Reactions will eventually be the sentences, but for now, you will need to learn the proper way to write the words, and then to develop a mental picture of the structures represented by these words. The use of Lewis structures gives us a step-by-step way to construct molecular models of any species: covalent or ionic. Lewis structures are based on the idea that every atom is most stable when its electron configuration matches that of the nearest noble gas. This is often called "the octet rule" because many common atoms are most stable when they have eight electrons in their outermost or valence shell.

Because Lewis structures are conceptualized at the molecular level, this experiment will be used as a workshop to practice drawing and otherwise visualizing molecular structures. In the lab itself you will complete a worksheet that requires you to draw and analyze models of several inorganic compounds. Additionally, you will use a protractor to determine the bond angles of the resulting molecular structures.