Dicarbon monoxide, C2O, is found in dust clouds in space. Analysis of it shows that the sequence of atoms in this molecule is C-C-O. All bonds are double bonds and there are no unpaired electrons. How many lone pairs of electrons are present in a molecule of C2O?

Carbon dioxide has 4 lone pairs of electrons. During bonding, the bonds accounts for 8 electrons of the 16 valence electrons the molecule has. The remaining 8 valence electrons will be placed as lone pairs, two on each oxygen atom. As a result carbon dioxide molecule has a total 4 lone pairs of electrons. Dicarbon monoxide is a molecule that contains two carbon atoms and one oxygen atom. A lone pair refers to a pair of valence electrons that are not shared with another atom and is some times called a non-bonding pair. Lone pairs are found in the outermost electron shell of atoms.