Hydrogen isothiocyanate has formula HNCS, and its atoms are connected in the order written. Draw dot diagrams showing all the valid resonance forms.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The valid resonance forms for hydrogen isothiocyanate (HNCS) are: \(1. H: :N-C-S: :\) \\ \(2. H: :N=C-S: :\) \\ \(3. H: :N-C=S: :\)

Step by step solution

01

Determine total valence electrons

We first need to determine the total number of valence electrons in the HNCS molecule. Hydrogen has 1 valence electron, nitrogen has 5, carbon has 4, and sulfur has 6. Therefore, the total number of valence electrons is: 1 (hydrogen) + 5 (nitrogen) + 4 (carbon) + 6 (sulfur) = 16 valence electrons
02

Choose a central atom

The hydrogen atom cannot be the central atom since it can only form one bond. Between nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur, carbon is the least electronegative, making it a suitable central atom. Therefore, the molecule will have a structure of H-N-C-S.
03

Draw single bonds

Now, we will draw single bonds between the central carbon atom and each surrounding atom (nitrogen and sulfur). The hydrogen atom is only attached to the nitrogen atom. Each of these single bonds represents two electrons: H :\ N-C-S So far, we have utilized 6 of the 16 valence electrons.
04

Complete the octet

We will now complete the octet for nitrogen and sulfur by adding lone pairs of electrons. Remember to exclude the hydrogen atom because it only requires two electrons to achieve an electron configuration similar to helium. H :: N-C-S: : Here, nitrogen has an octet, and sulfur has 6 electrons. 2 more electrons are needed to complete the octet. In this case, since sulfur can accommodate an expanded octet, we can form a double bond between carbon and sulfur.
05

Check for resonance structures

Now that we have completed the octet rule for all atoms, let's check if there are any additional valid resonance structures. H :: N=C=S: : We can additionally create a double bond between nitrogen and carbon, forming another resonance structure: H :: N=C-S: : Summarizing, the valid resonance forms for HNCS are: \(1. H: :N-C-S: :\) \\ \(2. H: :N=C-S: :\) \\ \(3. H: :N-C=S: :\)

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