What is the Lewis structure of aluminum (Al)?

The Lewis structure of an element represents the valence electrons around an atom. Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that can participate in the formation of chemical bonds. In the case of aluminum (Al), which is in group 13 (or IIIA) of the periodic table, it has three valence electrons.

To draw the Lewis structure for an aluminum atom, follow these steps:

1. Determine the number of valence electrons: Aluminum has an atomic number of 13, which means it has 13 electrons. The electron configuration of aluminum is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p¹. The electrons in the third shell (3s² 3p¹) are the valence electrons, totaling three.

2. Represent the nucleus and inner electrons: Since the Lewis structure focuses on the valence electrons, the nucleus and inner electrons are not explicitly drawn. Instead, the symbol for aluminum (Al) is used to represent the nucleus and inner electrons.

3. Place the valence electrons around the symbol: Arrange the three valence electrons around the aluminum symbol. In Lewis structures, electrons are represented as dots. Since aluminum has three valence electrons, you will place three dots around the symbol.

4. Distribute the electrons evenly: To minimize repulsion between electrons, they are placed around the atom such that they are as far apart as possible. For aluminum, you can place one electron at three of the four sides (top, bottom, left, right) of the aluminum symbol.

The resulting Lewis structure for an aluminum atom would look like this:

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Al : .
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Each dot represents one valence electron. This structure shows that aluminum has three electrons available for bonding, which is consistent with its typical +3 oxidation state when it forms compounds.