High School

Determine the formal charge on nitrogen in the nitrite ion ([tex]NO_2^-[/tex]).

Answer :

The formal charge on nitrogen in the nitrite ion (NO2-) is +1.

What is nitrite ion's formal charge?

To determine the formal charge on an atom, we compare the number of valence electrons it should have (based on its position in the periodic table) with the number of electrons assigned to it in the Lewis structure. In the case of the nitrite ion (NO2-), the Lewis structure shows that nitrogen (N) is bonded to two oxygen (O) atoms and has one lone pair of electrons.

Nitrogen has a valence electron configuration of 5. In the nitrite ion, each oxygen contributes 6 electrons (since oxygen has 6 valence electrons) and the overall charge of the ion is -1.

By applying the formula for formal charge, which is the valence electrons minus the non-bonding electrons minus half of the bonding electrons, we can calculate the formal charge on nitrogen.

Formal charge = 5 - 2 - (6/2) = +1

Hence, the formal charge on nitrogen in the nitrite ion is +1.

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Final answer:

The formal charge on nitrogen in the nitrite ion (NO2-) is zero for the most stable resonance structure, where nitrogen has one lone pair and forms one single and one double bond with the oxygen atoms.

Explanation:

To determine the formal charge on nitrogen in the nitrite ion (NO2−), one must first understand that the formal charge on an atom is calculated by the formula:

Formal Charge = (Valence electrons of the atom) - (Lone pair electrons on the atom) - ½(Bonding electrons)

A neutral nitrogen atom has five valence electrons. In the nitrite ion, nitrogen typically forms one single bond and one double bond with the two oxygen atoms and may carry zero or one lone pair of electrons depending on its resonance structure. For the most stable resonance structure, often the one with the least separation of formal charge and the negative formal charge placed on the more electronegative atom, oxygen, is preferred.

Considering the structure where nitrogen has one lone pair, the formal charge calculation for nitrogen would be:

Formal Charge on N = (5 valence electrons on nitrogen) - (2 electrons from lone pair on nitrogen) - ½(6 electrons from three bonds made with oxygen atoms) = 0

Thus, the formal charge on nitrogen in this stable resonance structure of the nitrite ion is zero.