Formal Charge vs Polarity

[cherublina1l]

Is formal charge in any way related to determining the polarity of a molecule? Or is it unrelated and is more specifically focused on the stability of a formation?

[Amanda Pineda 3H]

Hi! So formal charge is a theoretical value that is assigned to an atom in a molecule and is used to try and determine the stability of each atom. Polarity are actual values and is defined as the development of of partial charges on atoms due to the shifting of electrons towards more electronegative atoms. Hope this helps!

[905701360]

Hi!
I believe that formal charge is the charge is based on the fact that the electrons in all chemical bonds are shared equally, with no electronegativity effect, while polarity is when you take into account the electric charges, which creates electric dipoles.

[405716590]

formal charge is focused on stability not necessairily charge

[Michelle Argueta 1E]

The formal charge is associated with the stability of the structure and not a determining factor for polarity. For polarity, determining factors include the type of molecule and its shape; for covalently bonded molecules, the difference between the electronegativity charge is also a determinant factor to acknowledge whether the molecule is polar or nonpolar.

[butteredbread]

on a similar note, Is formal charge the same as oxidation numbers? if not, how do they relate to each other?

[Janice Hu 2L]

on a similar note, Is formal charge the same as oxidation numbers? if not, how do they relate to each other?

Formal charge = charge an atom would have if all bonded electrons are shared equally (think covalent)
Oxidation number = charge an atom would have if all bonded electrons only "belong" to the more electronegative element (think ionic)

>> Formal charges help us determine the most stable structure for a molecule.
>> Oxidation numbers will come in handy for redox reactions, and they are also used to help name molecules.

Example: NaCl

Na:
FC = 1 - (0 + 2/1) = 0
Oxidation # = +1

Cl:
FC = 7 - (6 + 2/1) = 0
Oxidation # = -1

[Alexis DeHorta 2A]

Polarity has to do with an unequal distribution of electrons within a molecule while nonpolar is an equal distribution of electrons within a molecule. So in turn, yes, formal charge and polarity do have some correlation. A formal charge (FC) is the charge assigned to an atom in a molecule, assuming that electrons in all chemical bonds are shared equally between atoms, regardless of relative electronegativity.