what is the lewis structure with lowest formal charges and label the charge of each atom in NO
To determine the Lewis structure of NO (nitric oxide) with the lowest formal charges:
1. Count the total number of valence electrons:
The atomic number of nitrogen (N) is 7, and oxygen (O) is 8. Since there is one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom in NO, the total number of valence electrons is 7 + 8 = 15.
2. Determine the central atom:
The atom with the lowest electronegativity tends to be the central atom in a molecule. In the case of NO, nitrogen (N) is less electronegative than oxygen (O), so nitrogen will be the central atom.
3. Place the atoms together:
Connect the nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) atoms with a single bond.
4. Distribute the remaining electrons:
In this case, there are 15 valence electrons. Two electrons are required to form the single bond between nitrogen and oxygen (which uses up 2 electrons). Therefore, there are 13 valence electrons remaining.
5. Complete the octet of the surrounding atoms:
Since both nitrogen and oxygen follow the octet rule, try to achieve a stable electron configuration by filling in the remaining electrons around each atom.
6. Determine the formal charges:
A formal charge is the charge assigned to an atom in a molecule or ion. It helps to determine the stability and preferred Lewis structure. To calculate the formal charge, use the following formula: Formal Charge = Valence Electrons - Lone Pair Electrons - 1/2 * Bonding Electrons.
In NO, the nitrogen atom has 5 valence electrons (group 15 element) and is surrounded by 4 bonding electrons and 1 lone pair (non-bonding electrons). Plugging in these values into the formula, the formal charge on nitrogen is (5 - 2 - 4/2) = 0.
The oxygen atom has 6 valence electrons (group 16 element) and is surrounded by 2 bonding electrons and 3 lone pairs. Plugging these values into the formula, the formal charge on oxygen is (6 - 6 - 4/2) = -1.
Thus, the Lewis structure with the lowest formal charges for NO is:
.
:O=N:
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In this structure, nitrogen has a formal charge of 0, and oxygen has a formal charge of -1.