Formal Charge

[105114680]

Problem 5 a) on chapter 2C 7th edition: the problem calls for you to draw the lewis structure for ClO. The solutions manual shows it drawn with a single bond, but I was wondering why it would be incorrect to draw the structure with a double bond instead (since the formal charge would then be 0 for both Cl and O, whereas with a single bond the formal charges are +1 for Cl and -1 for O). Thank You!

[Keshav Bhatnagar 1H]

I think you meant ClO-?

If that is the case then you can only draw it with a single bond; a double bond would result in either Cl or O needing to expand their valence shell in order to take in a lone electron.

[daniella_knight1I]

WIth ClO you would draw a double bond but ClO- would be a single bond.