To draw the Lewis structure of hydroperoxyl (HO₂), start by counting the total number of valence electrons: 13 electrons (2 oxygen atoms with 6 electrons each, and 1 hydrogen atom with 1 electron).
Next, arrange the atoms with an oxygen-oxygen bond and a hydrogen-oxygen bond. Distribute electrons as lone pairs on the oxygen atoms. The structure should show two lone pairs on each oxygen, with one oxygen holding an unpaired electron, making HO₂ a radical.
The final Lewis structure is:
H
|
O–O
This arrangement satisfies the octet rule for oxygen and the duet rule for hydrogen, completing the molecule’s structure.