Resonance and Formal Charge

AP Chemistry· difficulty 3/5

Formal charge of an atom in a Lewis structure is calculated as

A
$Atomic number$
B
$Number of valence electrons - (lone-pair electrons + ½ \times shared electrons)$
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C
$Total electrons$
D
$Number of bonds$

Explanation

FC = V - (L + S/2). The "best" Lewis structures minimize formal charges and place negatives on more electronegative atoms.

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