1. Count Valence Electrons
* Oxygen (O): 6 valence electrons/atom * 2 atoms = 12 electrons
* Carbon (C): 4 valence electrons/atom * 2 atoms = 8 electrons
* Hydrogen (H): 1 valence electron/atom * 6 atoms = 6 electrons
Total Valence Electrons: 12 + 8 + 6 = 26 electrons
2. Draw the Lewis Structure
* Skeleton: Start with the carbon atoms connected by a single bond: C-C
* Attach Hydrogens: Each carbon gets two hydrogen atoms: H-C-C-H
* Attach Oxygen: Each carbon gets one oxygen atom: H-C-O-C-H
* Add Lone Pairs: Each oxygen atom needs two lone pairs to complete its octet.
Lewis Structure:
```
H H
| |
C C
/ \ / \
H O O H
| |
H H
```
3. Bonding and Nonbonding Pairs
* Bonding Pairs: Each bond (single or double) represents one bonding pair of electrons. There are a total of 7 bonds in the structure.
* Nonbonding Pairs: Each lone pair on an oxygen atom represents one nonbonding pair. There are a total of 4 lone pairs.
Summary:
* Total Valence Electrons: 26
* Bonding Pairs: 7
* Nonbonding Pairs: 4
