Give the Lewis structure of (a) \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\) (b) \(\mathrm{NO}\) (c) \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}\) (d) \(\mathrm{SO}_{3}\)

Valence electrons are the electrons found in the outermost shell of an atom, which can participate in the formation of chemical bonds. These electrons determine how atoms interact with each other, as they are the ones that are exchanged or shared when atoms bond chemically. Understanding valence electrons is essential to determining how many bonds an atom can form.

For example, in the exercise provided, the number of valence electrons was counted for molecules like \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\), \(\mathrm{NO}\), \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}\), and \(\mathrm{SO}_{3}\). Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons while oxygen (O) and sulfur (S) both have 6. Calculating the total count of valence electrons is the first step to creating the Lewis structures, which visually represent the arrangement of electrons in molecules.

The octet rule is a chemical rule of thumb that states atoms tend to combine in such a way that they each have eight electrons in their valence shells, giving them the same electronic configuration as a noble gas. The rule applies to main group elements, with notable exceptions for hydrogen (which seeks a duet of electrons), helium, and transition metals.

Atoms will share, donate or receive electrons to achieve a full octet. This can result in the formation of ionic or covalent bonds. The steps provided in the exercise include verification of the octet rule for each atom within the molecules. If an atom does not have an octet, adjustments like forming double or triple bonds between atoms are made. Such an adjustment is seen in \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\) and \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}\), where double bonds were necessary to comply with the octet rule.

Lewis dot structures, also known as Lewis structures, are diagrams that represent the bonding between atoms of a molecule and the lone pairs of electrons that may exist in the molecule. The Lewis structure can predict the number of bonds that an atom can form, the arrangement of atoms, and whether or not additional electrons need to be added as dots to represent lone pairs.

A crucial aspect of drawing Lewis structures is to ensure that the valence shell is filled appropriately according to the octet rule. In the exercise, each step of the process involves placing dots for lone pairs and connecting atoms with lines to indicate chemical bonds. For instance, \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\) was depicted with a double bond to fulfill nitrogen's octet.

Chemical bonding is the physical process that allows for the formation of molecules and compounds through the sharing, exchanging, or transferring of valence electrons. There are several types of bonds including ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds.

In the provided exercise, covalent bonding was the main focus, where atoms share pairs of electrons. For each molecule, such as \(\mathrm{SO}_{3}\), it is imperative to assess whether the atoms are sharing electrons in a manner that allows for a stable structure in accordance with the octet rule. The final Lewis structures signify the full representation of the chemical bonding in the molecules.