How many electrons are used to fill the π resonance bonds formed in the NO₂^- ion? A) 0 B) 1 C) 2 D) 3 E) 4

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The NO₂^- ion, when decoded from its notation, represents the nitrate ion (NO3^-). In the nitrate ion, there are three resonance structures, each with a single nitrogen-oxygen double bond (π bond) and two nitrogen-oxygen single bonds. However, these double bonds are delocalized across all three oxygen atoms, meaning the π electrons are shared among them. A nitrogen-oxygen double bond involves 2 π electrons, and since these electrons are delocalized across the three bonds in the resonance structures, a total of 2 π electrons are used to fill the π resonance bonds in the nitrate ion.

How Many Electrons Are Used to Fill the π Resonance