CHEMISTRY COMMUNITY

Today, the TA substituting for class mentioned formal charges. What does formal charges have to do with organic molecules? does it determine which molecule bonds with which elements?

I believe you would use formal charge to find out if it becomes positive or negatively charged.

Some of the organic chemistry problems in ch. 4 require you to draw lewis structures (ex. SCN-) so you need to know formal charges to be able to draw these. That may be another reason why she mentioned it.