carbon monoxide formal charges

[Jared_Yuge]

Why does carbon monoxide have a +1 charge on the oxygen and a -1 charge on the carbon?

[John Arambulo 1I]

Because that is the only way to attain a neutral structure with an overall charge of 0.

[vpena_1I]

A triple bond between the C and O gives them both a full octet with the 10 available electrons. Because each has a lone pair, you end up with a positive and negative charge. This, however, cancels out. Any other configuration would get you a formal charge even further away from 0.

[BryantChung_4B]

Simple formal charge calculations. The carbon atom, for example, has 4 valence electrons, but if you take the electrons in a CO molecule (2 lone electrons and 3 bonded electron pairs) you will get 4 - 5 = -1 formal charge.

[AronCainBayot2K]

This is due to the lewis structure as carbon monoxide requires a triple bond to fulfill the 10 valence electrons needed in the structure. Furthermore when conducting formal charge, carbon would have a +1 charge while oxygen would have a -1 charge.

[AJForte-2C]

This is because this is the only way for the molecule to achieve a charge of 0, which is the most stable state.