What Is the Lewis Structure of C2?

The Lewis structure of C2, the chemical formula for diatomic carbon, is written with two Cs connected by two straight lines. Each C also contains one pair of dots, for a total of two dots each.

C is the chemical symbol for carbon. The lines connecting the carbon atoms represent a pair of bonded electrons. In diatomic carbon, each carbon atom is connected to the other with a double bond. The dots represent the remaining valence electrons with a total of four valence electrons for each atom. The valence electrons sit in the second energy level in the 2s-orbital and the 2p-orbital.