Question

what is the formal charge of nitrogen in the lewis structure below? short answer type answer here

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the formula for formal charge

The formula for formal charge is \( FC = V - N - \frac{B}{2} \), where \( V \) is the number of valence electrons of the atom in isolation, \( N \) is the number of non - bonding electrons, and \( B \) is the number of bonding electrons.
For nitrogen (\( N \)), \( V=5 \) (since nitrogen is in group 15 of the periodic table and has 5 valence electrons).

Step2: Determine \( N \) and \( B \) from the Lewis structure

From the Lewis structure \([:O = N - O:]^{-}\), for the nitrogen atom:

• The number of non - bonding electrons (\( N \)): There are 2 non - bonding electrons (1 lone pair) on nitrogen. So \( N = 2 \).
• The number of bonding electrons (\( B \)): Nitrogen forms a double bond (\( 4 \) electrons) with one oxygen and a single bond (\( 2 \) electrons) with another oxygen. So \( B=4 + 2=6 \).

Step3: Calculate the formal charge

Substitute \( V = 5 \), \( N = 2 \), and \( B = 6 \) into the formula \( FC=V - N-\frac{B}{2}\).

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Answer:

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