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When carbon and oxygen bond, the molecule contains how many pairs of bonding electrons?

1 Answer

Aug 24, 2017

Well, it might contain three pairs of bonding electrons....

Explanation:

In carbon monoxide, $^{-} : C \equiv O^{+}$ $""^(-):C-=O^+$ ; clearly there are three bonding pairs.....

In carbon dioxide, $O = C = O$ $O=C=O$ ; there are four bonding pairs....

There is also carbon suboxide, $O = C = C = C = O$ $O=C=C=C=O$ , there are eight bonding pairs....not that you could put this molecule in a bottle.

And in ethers, $R - O - R$ $R-O-R$ , there are 2 bonding pairs....

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