Resonance Structures and Formal charges

[Kaleb Tesfaye 1I]

What is the relationship between resonance structures and Formal charges? How does one relate to the other?

[Jack Martinyan 1L]

Lewis structures incorporate an atom's formal charge, which is the charge on an atom in a molecule, assuming that electrons in a chemical bond are shared equally between atoms. When multiple Lewis structures can represent the same compound, the different Lewis formulas are called resonance structures.

[Nina_A_Section1E]

Resonance structures are just different, equally stable, Lewis structures for an atom, so they all have the same charge!

[Hope_Pham_1G]

The formal charge is used to discover the most stable Lewis structure. That structure will have the least number of formal charges not equal to zero. Resonance structure represents the various locations of the electron pairs. The electron can go back and forth between atoms.

[AnthonyDis1A]

I thought this site explains the relationship between resonance structures and formal charges well. It also goes really in-depth with well-explained examples.

https://chem.libretexts.org/Core/Physic ... /Resonance

[Vienna Cimetta 1L]

So if there are multiple different ways to draw a molecule, where each as a different formal charge (like the examples in class), are these not resonance?

[Mariah Guerrero 1J]

So for our upcoming tests, the only acceptable lewis structures are those with a formal charge of 0?

[Chem_Mod]

Not all most stable Lewis structures have a formal charge of 0. Most stable Lewis structures minimize the number of formal charges.