What is the Lewis dot structure for CO?

Answer 1

you form the atoms into a triangle with carbon in the center. form a double bond with carbon and one of the oxygens and single bonds between the carbon and the remaining oxygens. link the two oxygens with a single bond. the result should look like a "Y" but bonded at the top.

Answer 2

Caron Monoxide does not have a single, unambiguous Lewis Structure because it is mesomeric: the electrons have an intermediate form between bonding and non-bonding. Mesomeric structures are represented by resonance diagrams, showing different Lewis structures, which the real behavior lies between.

The dominant Lewis structure in resonance diagrams is a triple bond, with a lone pair on each of the Carbon and Oxygen, with the Carbon having a negative charge, and Oxygen positive:

(-) :C≣O: (+)

a significant contribution also comes from

:C=O::

You may be surprised by the negative formal charge on the Carbon on the deominant structure (isoelectronic to molecular Nitrogen), given Oxygen is more electronegative. This is best explained with Molecular Orbital Theory: complex interactions between molecular orbital energies skew the electron distribution counter-intuitively.

Answer 3

There are currently three different Lewis Dot Structures which can account for Carbon Monoxide. The example in the related links section below provides examples, as well at the Wikipedia page concerning Carbon Monoxide from which the example has been taken.

Answer 4

oxygen can only form 2 bonds so there's a double bond between the oxygen and the carbon and instead of two lone pairs around the carbon, there's only one (tricky ehh?)