Order the steps: draw a Lewis structure
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- Steps
- Count the valence electrons of every atom
- Arrange the atoms in their skeletal structure
- Place one shared pair between each bonded pair of atoms
- Distribute the remaining electrons as lone pairs
- Add multiple bonds if any atom still lacks a noble gas configuration
Count first, then place, then check. Source: syllabus Chemistry, Ch 4 Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure.