Question

below is the lewis structure of the acetylene (c₂h₂) molecule.
h:c:::c:h
count the number of bonding pairs and the number of lone pairs around the left carbon atom in this molecule.
bonding pairs: 3
lone pairs:

Explanation:

Step1: Understand bonding pairs and lone pairs

Bonding pairs are electrons shared between atoms. Lone pairs are non - bonding electrons on an atom.

Step2: Analyze the left carbon atom in \(C_2H_2\)

In the Lewis structure \(H:C:::C:H\), the left carbon (\(C\)) has one \(C - H\) single bond (1 bonding pair) and one \(C\equiv C\) triple bond (3 bonding pairs). In total, there are \(1 + 2= 3\) bonding pairs (since each bond in a multiple bond is a pair of electrons). For lone pairs, carbon has 4 valence electrons. It uses all 4 electrons in bonding (\(1\) from \(C - H\) and \(3\) from \(C\equiv C\)). So, the number of lone pairs is \(0\).

Answer:

bonding pairs: 3, lone pairs: 0