Cyanide

[Abigail Menchaca_1H]

How do you calculate the formal charges for each atom in CN-?

[Jared_Yuge]

just draw a lewis dot structure of the molecule, make sure to add the extra charge somewhere, and then count the electrons directly touching the atom and find the difference between the number of electrons its supposed to have in a neutral state. Do that for both, and experiment with the bonds and try to get the numbers as close as possible to 0 but if one has to be negative it should be the more electronegative atom, which in this case is the N.

[Amanda Mei 1B]

After drawing the Lewis structure, you would count the number of valence electrons of one of the atoms, then subtract the number of bonds that atom makes, then subtract the number of lone electrons on that atom. So valence electrons - (# bonds + # lone electrons).

[saigorijavolu2k]

you draw the lewis structure and then subtract the valence electrons from bonds and lone pairs. CN has a triple bond.

[Hussain Chharawalla 1G]

When drawing the lewis structure, make sure each element has a complete octet then count the lowest charge configuration.

[Kevin Liu 1J]

Based on the number of electrons bonded, the cyanide should have a triple bond between carbon and nitrogen along with a lone pair on each atom.