Finding the lowest energy structure

[Samantha Man 1L]

When you are trying to identify the structure of lower energy between two lewis structures, do you always have to test each atom's formal charge to know which compound to pick?

[inlovewithchemistry]

I think that this is the most efficient way and only way to be completely sure of stability.

[Nicoline Breytenbach 3D]

Calculating and comparing formal charges is the best way to determine the most stable structure!

[Max Kwon 1J]

You have to test it because some lewis structures are more stable than others and the formal charge shows this stability in number terms. There are also resonance structures, but they are all the same in terms of formal charge and stability.

[505095793]

The formal charge gives an indication of the extent to which atoms have gained or lost electrons in the process of covalent bond formation. Atom arrangements and Lewis structures with the lowest formal charges are likely to have the lowest energy.

[Jordan Y4D]

Elements are the most stable when their FC is 0. You want the atoms with the highest electronegativity to have the lowest formal charge possible. Once you reach that, you want the overall FC to be as close to zero as well. This give you the lowest energy structure of a substance.