A step-by-step explanation of how to draw the ZnCl2 Lewis Dot Structure.

For ZnCl2 we have an ionic compound and we need to take that into account when we draw the Lewis Structure. We’ll first draw the metal and put it in brackets with its charge on the outside (video: finding ionic charge: https://youtu.be/M22YQ1hHhEY).

Next, we'll draw the Lewis Structure for the Cl- ion and add brackets. We put the two ions together to complete the Lewis structure for ZnCl2. Note that ZnCl2 is also called Zinc chloride.

----- Lewis Resources -----
• Lewis Structures for Ionic Compounds: https://youtu.be/2urppjeSfgA
• Lewis Structures for Covalent Compounds: https://youtu.be/1ZlnzyHahvo
• Counting Valence Electrons: https://youtu.be/VBp7mKdcrDk
• Calculating Formal Charge: https://youtu.be/vOFAPlq4y_k
• Exceptions to the Octet Rule: https://youtu.be/Dkj-SMBLQzM

More chemistry help at https://www.Breslyn.org.

Note that is it more common to draw Lewis Structures for covalent (molecular) compounds where valance electrons are shared. In the case of ionic compounds, where we have a metal bonded to a non-metal (or group of non-metals), the Lewis diagram represents a formula unit. Many of these formula units make up a crystal lattice. So when we talk about the structure for ZnCl2 we think of it together with other ZnCl2 formula units in a crystal (NaCl is a good example of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_chloride).

Drawing/writing done in InkScape. Screen capture done with Camtasia Studio 4.0. Done on a Dell Dimension laptop computer with a Wacom digital tablet (Bamboo).