What is the formal charge on the oxygen atom in N₂O (the atomic order is N-N-O) A) -2 B) -1 C) 0 D) +1 E) +2

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To determine the formal charge on the oxygen atom, we need to use the formula: Formal charge = Number of valence electrons - (Number of lone pair electrons + 0.5 x Number of bonding electrons). The oxygen atom in N₂O has 6 valence electrons. It is bonded to one nitrogen (which has 5 valence electrons) and one sulfur (which has 6 valence electrons). The nitrogen atom has one lone pair and is bonded to one sulfur atom, while the sulfur atom has one lone pair and is bonded to one nitrogen and one oxygen atom. Thus, the oxygen atom has 4 bonding electrons (two from double-bonding with the sulfur and two from single-bonding with the nitrogen) and 2 lone pair electrons. Plugging the values into the formula, we get: Formal charge = 6 - (2 + 0.5 x 4) = -1 Therefore, the formal charge on the oxygen atom is -1, which corresponds to choice B.

What Is the Formal Charge on the Oxygen Atom in N2O

What Is the Formal Charge on the Oxygen Atom in N₂O