CO₂ Lewis Structure
The CO₂ Lewis structure consists of a central carbon atom double-bonded to two oxygen atoms. Carbon has no lone pairs, while each oxygen has two lone pairs. The molecule has 16 total valence electrons. Because the two C=O bonds are arranged symmetrically at 180°, CO₂ has a linear molecular geometry and is nonpolar overall.
| Total valence electrons | 16 |
|---|---|
| Central atom | Carbon (C) |
| Bonds | Two C=O double bonds |
| Lone pairs on C | 0 |
| Lone pairs on O | 2 |
| Electron geometry | Linear |
| Molecular geometry | Linear |
| VSEPR | AX₂ |
| Bond angle | 180° |
| Polarity | Nonpolar |
| C hybridization | sp |
| Formal charges | 0 on every atom |
How to Draw the CO₂ Lewis Structure
Draw CO₂ step by step. Count the valence electrons, choose the central atom, connect the atoms with single bonds, finish the outer octets, then form multiple bonds if an atom is still short of a full shell.
Step 1Count the valence electrons
C: 4 × 1 = 4; O: 6 × 2 = 12. Total: 16 valence electrons.
Atom Count Valence e⁻ Total C 1 4 4 O 2 6 12 Total 16 Step 2Choose the central atom
Hydrogen is never central. Carbon is the least electronegative heavy element, so carbon is the central atom.
Step 3Draw the skeleton
Connect every outer atom to the central atom with a single bond (O—C—O). This uses 4 electrons.
Step 4Complete the outer octets
Place 12 electrons as lone pairs (3 lone pairs on O, 3 lone pairs on O). 16 of 16 electrons placed.
Step 5Form multiple bonds
C has fewer than 8 electrons with only single bonds. Convert lone pairs from the outer atoms into shared pairs (C=O, C=O). Continue until C reaches an octet.
Step 6Check the result
Result: O=C=O. Formal charges: C 0, O 0, O 0 — sum 0, matching the neutral molecule. 2 double bonds; 4 lone pairs in total.
Why the double bonds
On the single-bond skeleton O—C—O, each oxygen already has three lone pairs and all 16 electrons are placed — yet carbon is still surrounded by only four electrons, short of an octet. Move one lone pair from each oxygen into the C–O link. Both bonds become C=O doubles: carbon reaches eight, and each oxygen still has eight (two bonds and two lone pairs).
Electron counts check out (C 8 · O 8 · O 8): hydrogen targets 2 electrons, other atoms an octet unless noted. All 16 valence electrons are placed.
CO₂ Valence Electrons
Carbon contributes 4 valence electrons, and 2 × oxygens contribute 2 × 6 = 12. Added together, CO₂ starts with 16 valence electrons to place, and as a neutral molecule there is no charge to add or remove. Of those, 8 fill the bonds and 8 sit as lone pairs (2 on each oxygen).
| carbon: 4 valence electrons |
| 2 × oxygen: 2 × 6 = 12 |
| Total: 4 + 12 = 16 |
CO₂ Lewis Structure with Formal Charges
Formula
Formal charge = valence e⁻ − nonbonding e⁻ − ½ × bonding e⁻
| Atom | Calculation | Formal charge |
|---|---|---|
| C | 4 − 0 − ½(8) = 0 | 0 |
| O | 6 − 4 − ½(4) = 0 | 0 |
| O | 6 − 4 − ½(4) = 0 | 0 |
The formal charges sum to 0, matching the neutral molecule. That makes this the preferred CO₂ Lewis structure: zero formal charge on every atom.
CO₂ Molecular Geometry
| Electron geometry | Linear |
|---|---|
| Molecular geometry / shape | Linear |
| VSEPR notation | AX₂ |
| Bond angle | 180° |
On the central carbon, count electron domains the VSEPR way: each bonded neighbor is one domain (a double or triple bond still counts as one), and each lone pair is one more. CO₂ has 2 bonding domains and no lone pairs (AX₂), for 2 electron domains in total.
Two domains repel to opposite sides of the carbon, so O═C═O is linear with a bond angle of 180°. With no lone pairs on the central atom, the electron geometry and the molecular geometry are the same: both linear.
Water is the usual classroom contrast. H₂O is also built from a central atom and two outer atoms, but oxygen keeps two lone pairs (AX₂E₂), so the molecule bends to about 104.5° and is polar. Carbon in CO₂ has no lone pairs, so the same counting rules give a straight O=C=O shape and a nonpolar molecule.
Is CO₂ Polar or Nonpolar?
CO₂ is nonpolar.
Each C=O bond is genuinely polar: oxygen (electronegativity 3.44) pulls the shared electrons harder than carbon (2.55), so every bond has a dipole pointing toward its oxygen. But polarity is a property of the whole molecule, not of one bond. Because CO₂ is linear and symmetric, the two bond dipoles have the same magnitude and point in exactly opposite directions along the same axis, so they cancel and the net dipole moment is zero. Water makes the contrast clear: H₂O is also built from polar bonds, but its bent shape leaves the dipoles unbalanced, so H₂O is polar. Symmetry, not bond polarity alone, decides.
Two equal C=O bond dipoles point in opposite directions and cancel — net dipole 0.
CO₂ Hybridization
Carbon in CO₂ is sp-hybridized.
The central carbon has two electron domains — one for each C=O bond — so it mixes one 2s orbital with one 2p orbital to build two sp hybrid orbitals pointing 180° apart, which matches the linear geometry. The two unhybridized p orbitals left over on carbon overlap sideways with p orbitals on the oxygens to form the two π bonds. That is why each C=O double bond is one σ bond plus one π bond, and why carbon in CO₂ is described as sp-hybridized.
CO₂ Lewis Structure Summary
| Chemical name | Carbon dioxide |
|---|---|
| Total valence electrons | 16 |
| Central atom | Carbon |
| Structure | O═C═O |
| Bond type | Two C=O double bonds |
| Lone pairs on carbon | 0 |
| Lone pairs on outer atoms | 2 on each oxygen |
| Electron geometry | Linear |
| Molecular geometry | Linear |
| VSEPR | AX₂ |
| Bond angle | 180° |
| Hybridization | sp |
| Polarity | Nonpolar |
| Formal charge | 0 on every atom |
| Resonance | No |
| Overall charge | 0 |
Try Another Lewis Structure
Enter another formula to draw its Lewis structure — bonds, lone pairs, formal charges, and the steps behind them.
Need the mass instead? See the CO₂ Molar Mass →
Related Lewis Structures
Common next structures from general chemistry — each link opens that molecule so you can compare geometry, polarity, or the drawing steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Lewis structure of CO₂?
The Lewis structure of CO₂ is a central carbon atom double-bonded to two oxygen atoms, written O=C=O. Carbon has no lone pairs, each oxygen keeps two lone pairs, and all 16 valence electrons are used. Every atom carries a formal charge of 0.
How many valence electrons does CO₂ have?
CO₂ has 16 valence electrons: 4 from carbon and 6 from each of the two oxygens (2 × 6 = 12). Eight of them fill the two C=O double bonds, and the other eight sit as lone pairs on the oxygens.
What is the molecular geometry of CO₂?
CO₂ has a linear molecular geometry. Carbon is the central atom with two bonding domains and no lone pairs, so the two C=O bonds point in opposite directions, 180° apart.
Is CO₂ polar or nonpolar?
CO₂ is nonpolar. Each C=O bond is polar, but the molecule is linear and symmetric, so the two equal bond dipoles point in opposite directions and cancel exactly, giving a net dipole of zero.
What is the bond angle of CO₂?
The bond angle in CO₂ is exactly 180°. With two electron domains and no lone pairs on carbon, the O=C=O bonds sit directly opposite each other.
What is the hybridization of carbon in CO₂?
Carbon in CO₂ is sp-hybridized. Its two electron domains combine one s orbital and one p orbital into two sp hybrids pointing 180° apart, while the two remaining p orbitals form the π bonds of the double bonds.