Bonding Theories: Lewis Theory

• Lewis theory is named after G. N. Lewis (1875–1946), the American chemist who developed it.
• We represent electrons as dots and draw what are called dot structures, or Lewis structures, to represent molecules.
• These structures have tremendous predictive power.
• Lewis theory can determine whether a particular set of atoms will form a stable molecule and what that molecule might look like.
• Although modern chemists also use more advanced bonding theories to better predict molecular properties, Lewis theory remains the simplest method for making quick, everyday predictions about molecules.