Electron Dot Structure of Calcium Chloride (CaCl2)

Calcium chloride (CaCl2) is an ionic compound composed of calcium (Ca) and chloride (Cl) ions. To represent the electron dot structure of calcium chloride, we need to follow certain rules and guidelines.

Step 1: Determine the Number of Valence Electrons
The first step is to determine the number of valence electrons for each atom in the compound. Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom.

- Calcium (Ca) is in Group 2 of the periodic table, so it has 2 valence electrons.
- Chlorine (Cl) is in Group 17, so it has 7 valence electrons.

Step 2: Represent the Atoms
Next, we represent the atoms using their chemical symbols.

- Calcium is represented by the symbol Ca.
- Chlorine is represented by the symbol Cl.

Step 3: Draw the Electron Dot Structure
To draw the electron dot structure, we place the valence electrons around the chemical symbol, representing each electron with a dot. The dots are placed around the symbol, one at a time, following a specific pattern.

- The first four dots are placed on each side of the chemical symbol, representing the s and p orbitals.
- Each side can accommodate a maximum of two electrons.
- Once all four sides have two electrons, we start pairing the remaining electrons on the existing sides.

Step 4: Complete the Electron Dot Structure
Using the above guidelines, we can now draw the electron dot structure of calcium chloride (CaCl2).

- Calcium (Ca) has 2 valence electrons, so we place two dots next to the symbol Ca.
- Chlorine (Cl) has 7 valence electrons, so we place one dot next to each symbol Cl.

The complete electron dot structure of calcium chloride (CaCl2) is as follows:

Ca
:
Cl : Cl

Summary
To summarize, the electron dot structure of calcium chloride (CaCl2) is represented by placing two dots next to the symbol Ca to represent its 2 valence electrons and one dot next to each symbol Cl to represent their 7 valence electrons.