Answer :
The Lewis structure for NO₂ features a nitrogen atom bonded to two oxygen atoms with a free radical electron. The formal charge on nitrogen is zero.
The Lewis structure for the nitrogen dioxide molecule (NO₂) involves assessing the valence electrons of nitrogen and oxygen atoms. Nitrogen contributes 5 valence electrons, while each oxygen contributes 6, summing up to 17 electrons. The structure is drawn with a nitrogen atom at the center bonded to two oxygen atoms. A double bond is formed between nitrogen and one oxygen, while a single bond is formed with the other oxygen. The remaining unpaired electron on nitrogen represents the free radical nature of NO₂. The Lewis structure is:
[tex]\[\begin{array}{c}\text{O} \\| \\\text{N} \equiv \text{O} \\|\end{array}\][/tex]
The formal charge on an atom in a Lewis structure is calculated as the difference between the number of valence electrons an atom contributes and the number of electrons it "owns" in the structure. For nitrogen in NO₂, the formal charge is calculated as:
[tex]\[ \text{Formal Charge on N} = \text{Number of valence electrons on N} - \text{Number of non-bonding electrons} - \frac{1}{2} \times \text{Number of bonding electrons} \][/tex]
[tex]\[ \text{Formal Charge on N} = 5 - 2 - \frac{1}{2} \times 6 = 0 \][/tex]
Therefore, the formal charge on nitrogen in the nitrogen dioxide molecule is zero.
