Drawing lewis structures
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Drawing lewis structures
When we draw lewis structures, do we always have to draw the structure with the lowest formal charge?
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Re: Drawing lewis structures
Our TA said to try to draw lewis structures with as many bond with a formal charge of 0 (especially on the central element)
Re: Drawing lewis structures
When drawing Lewis structures, I think you should try to draw the one with the lowest formal charge possible.
Re: Drawing lewis structures
The structure that has the lowest net formal charge is the most probable structure, however, it is important to note that some individual atoms may prefer to have a +/- formal charge due to their electronegativity relative to the other atoms in the molecule. For example, an oxygen atom with a 1- charge would be more representative of how oxygen acts when forming bonds.
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Re: Drawing lewis structures
Try and minimize your formal charges whenever you draw a Lewis structure, because this means that you have likely found the most stable structure.
Re: Drawing lewis structures
How do we determine when an atom prefers a +/- formal charge based on their electronegativity? Are we suppose to know based on the periodic table?
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