Stable Structures

[Amir Bayat]

In class today, Doctor Lavelle talked about how there are different methods in drawing the Lewis Dot Structures for different molecules like sulfate. How do we know, again, which structure is more stable? Is it when the central atom has a formal charge of 0?

[Jarrett Peyrefitte 2K]

Yes, it is when the formal charge is equal to 0 that shows the structure is stable. To find out the formal charge of a structure, you must use this equation:

FC = V - (L + S/2)

[Nick Fiorentino 1E]

Yes, you use FC = V - (L + S/2). Not all structures will have a formal charge equal to 0 but you want to find the structure that is closest to that value. Also, remember you have to find the formal charge for each atom

[HannahBui 2K]

Yes a structure is most stable when its formal charge is 0! However this is not always possible, so the closer a formal charge is to 0 the more stable it is.

[AlyssaYeh_1B]

Remember that if a formal charge of 0 is not possible, the atoms on the outside of the central atom generally have the formal charges that are not 0

[Ayushi2011]

Formal charge needs to be calculated. If the formal charge of the central atom is 0, the atom is stable.