negative formal charge
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- Posts: 122
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negative formal charge
Do we always put a formal negative charge instead of drawing a single electron around an atom?
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- Posts: 122
- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2021 7:23 am
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- Posts: 122
- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2021 7:23 am
Re: negative formal charge
Is there a difference between a -1 formal charge on an atom and drawing a single electron around the atom in the structure?
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- Posts: 122
- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2021 7:23 am
Re: negative formal charge
If there is a difference between a -1 formal charge on an atom and a single electron, what is the difference?
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- Posts: 99
- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2021 6:39 am
Re: negative formal charge
You have a -1 formal charge when one of the atoms in the lewis structure has an extra electron. Electrons take on a negative charge, therefore if an atom has an extra electron than what its supposed to have based on its valence electron number, it will take on a -1 formal charge. For example, in OH-, there is a negative charge. Oxygen has 6 valence electrons, and hydrogen only does single bonding. Therefore, in order to reach an octet, oxygen is going to have 3 sets of lone pairs and 1 single bond bonded to hydrogen. However, with these three lone pairs and one single bond, that gives oxygen 7 valence electrons in this lewis structure, when according to the periodic table, it should only have 6. Because it has this extra electron, the compound takes on a -1 charge.
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Re: negative formal charge
Yes, I agree with the above statement. The -1 charge indicates that there is an extra electron in the molecular structure.
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