Consider the compound NOCl. In the lewis dot structure, which element should be the central atom? Choose from following. N,O,Cl,both N or O could be in middle, both N or Cl could be in the middle,both O or Cl could be in middle,or all the elements could be in middle.

Nitrogen

Polar

To determine which element should be the central atom in the Lewis dot structure of NOCl, we need to consider the octet rule and the relative electronegativities of the elements.

1. Octet rule: The octet rule states that elements tend to gain, lose, or share electrons in order to achieve a complete outer shell of eight electrons (except hydrogen, which only needs two electrons). This rule helps us determine the number of bonds an atom can form.

2. Electronegativity: Electronegativity is the measure of an atom's ability to attract electrons towards itself in a chemical bond. The atom with higher electronegativity tends to be the central atom.

Now, let's analyze the elements in NOCl:

- Nitrogen (N): Nitrogen has five valence electrons and needs three more electrons to complete its octet.
- Oxygen (O): Oxygen has six valence electrons and needs two more electrons to complete its octet.
- Chlorine (Cl): Chlorine has seven valence electrons and needs only one more electron to complete its octet.

Considering the octet rule, we can determine that:

- Nitrogen (N) can form three bonds (sharing three pairs of electrons).
- Oxygen (O) can form two bonds (sharing two pairs of electrons).
- Chlorine (Cl) can form one bond (sharing one pair of electrons).

Now, let's consider the electronegativities:

- Nitrogen (N) has an electronegativity of 3.04.
- Oxygen (O) has an electronegativity of 3.44.
- Chlorine (Cl) has an electronegativity of 3.16.

Since oxygen (O) has the highest electronegativity, it tends to be the central atom in NOCl. Thus, in the Lewis dot structure of NOCl, nitrogen (N) and chlorine (Cl) will be the terminal atoms bonded to oxygen (O).

Therefore, the correct answer is: Oxygen (O) should be the central atom in the Lewis dot structure of NOCl.