1. Determine the number of valence electrons for each atom:
* Hydrogen (H): 1 valence electron
* Chlorine (Cl): 7 valence electrons
2. Place the least electronegative atom in the center.
* In this case, hydrogen is less electronegative than chlorine, but it's still the one that will bond to the chlorine. So, we'll place the chlorine atom in the center.
3. Draw single bonds between the atoms.
* Hydrogen needs one more electron to complete its shell, and chlorine needs one to complete its outer shell. So, they share a single electron pair.
4. Complete the octet (or duet) for each atom.
* Chlorine will have 3 lone pairs of electrons, while hydrogen will have its single pair shared with the chlorine atom.
Here's the final Lewis dot diagram:
```
H
\
Cl
/ \
: :
: :
```
Key points to remember:
* Lewis dot diagrams show valence electrons only.
* Each dot represents one valence electron.
* A single bond consists of two shared electrons.
* The goal is to achieve a stable octet (or duet for hydrogen) for each atom.
