Formal Charge Formula

[Michelle Shin 4B]

What are the shared electrons (S) for the formula FC= V -(L + (S/2)) and how do you count them?

[AnnikaMittelhauser4E]

The shared electrons are the ones involved in bonding (the lines in Lewis structures). Each line counts as two shared electrons (so a double bond is 4 shared electrons).

For example, in H2O, the oxygen has 4 shared electrons because it has a single bond with each hydrogen. It then has 4 lone electrons (which makes sense because that gives it an octet). So FC = 6 - (4 + 4/2) = 0.

[Emma Joy Schaetz 1E]

We count each shared electron twice, but then in the formula, it is divided by 2 to count for the sharing of the electrons.

[Anokhi Patel 2B]

The term "shared electrons" means that two atoms have formed a covalent bond. If you can count the two shared electrons for filling both of the atom's outer shells, then they are shared. To count the shared electron, the two electron between two atoms count are "2". To determine shared electrons, you can draw a circle around each atoms and its electrons and the electrons in the overlapped space are the shared electrons.

[cassidysong 1K]

Shared electrons are the electrons that are represented by the line in a lewis dot structure. Each line counts as 2 electrons.

[Natalie C 1K]

shared electrons are the electrons that are involved in covalent bonds. since they are being shared, each atom receives one out of the 2, so you must divide by 2 because you are only calculating the formal charge for one of the atoms