Learning outcomes

After studying Session 4 you should be able to:

  • understand how the concept of valency can account for, and predict the formulas of compounds
  • sketch Lewis structures of molecules and ions
  • identify situations where and appreciation of dative bonding is required to account for the bonding in certain molecules and ions
  • appreciate some molecules are not adequately represented by a single Lewis structure and seem to be a composite of two or more resonance structures.