High School

One resonance structure for the [tex]OCN^-[/tex] ion is drawn below. What is the formal charge on each atom?

A. Oxygen: -1, Carbon: 0, Nitrogen: 0
B. Oxygen: -1, Carbon: -1, Nitrogen: 1
C. Oxygen: 0, Carbon: -1, Nitrogen: -1
D. Oxygen: 0, Carbon: 0, Nitrogen: 0

Answer :

Final answer:

The formal charges on the atoms in the OCN- ion are: Oxygen: -1, Carbon: 0, Nitrogen: 0, corresponding to answer choice A.

Explanation:

The formal charge on an atom in a molecule or ion can be calculated by the formula: Formal Charge = (Valence Electrons) - (Nonbonding Electrons + 1/2 Bonding Electrons). In the OCN- ion, oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons, but there are 7 associated with it in the structure (6 non-bonding + 1/2 of the 2 bonding to carbon), so the formal charge on O is -1. Carbon (C) has 4 valence electrons, and there are 4 electrons shared either in a double bond with nitrogen or a single bond with oxygen, therefore, the formal charge on C is 0. Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons, but there are 6 associated with it in the structure (2 non-bonding + 1/2 of 8 billion from the triple bond with carbon), hence, the formal charge on N is 0. Based on these calculations, the correct answer is

option A

: Oxygen: -1, Carbon: 0, Nitrogen: 0.

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