Determining Best Lewis Structure [ENDORSED]

[Ava Harvey 2B]

When drawing out Lewis structures for a particular compound, I understand that we have to find multiple resonance structures and calculate the formal charges on the atoms to see which is the best one. Is the most stable structure considered the one where the central atom has a formal charge of 0? I get confused sometimes when trying to pick the best Lewis structure. Any explanations or tips would help a ton!

[Lucian1F]

In the best lewis structure, the formal charge for every atom in the molecule, not just the central atom, will be as close to 0 as possible

[Chem_Mod]

This is correct. Also, keep in mind that highly electronegative atoms dislike having a positive formal charge, and if one atom DOES have a negative formal charge, it should be on the electronegative atom if possible. This is because these atoms are "greedy" and want as many electrons as possible!