Question

Question: Calculate the formal charges on the atoms shown in red.

Short answer

Answer

The formal charge on O at left is 0

The formal charge on O in the middle is +1

The formal charge on O at right is -1

Step-by-step solution

Formal charge

The formal charge shows the electric charge present on an atom in a molecule. It indicates the magnitude and tells charge is positive or negative.

Calculation of formal charge

The formal charge on an atom equals the number of valence electrons in a neutral and isolated atom minus the number of electrons present in its bonded atom form in a molecule. The number of electrons in a bonded atom is calculated as half the number of bonding electrons plus the nonbonding, that is, lone-pair electrons.

$$\begin{gathered} \text{formalcharge=}\left(\begin{array}{c}\text{numberof}\\ v\text{alanceelectronin}\\ \text{freeatom}\end{array}\right)\text{-}\left(\begin{array}{c}\text{numberof}\\ v\text{alanceelectronin}\\ \text{bondedatom}\end{array}\right) \\ \text{=}\left(\begin{array}{c}\text{numberof}\\ v\text{alanceelectronin}\\ \text{freeatom}\end{array}\right)\text{-}\left(\frac{\text{numberofbondingelectro}n}{2}\text{+numberofnonbondingelectron}\right) \end{gathered}$$

Calculation of formal charge on O at left

Structure showing bond electrons

Using the above formula:

$$\begin{gathered} \text{formalcharge=}\left(\begin{array}{c}\text{numberof}\\ v\text{alanceelectronin}\\ \text{freeatom}\end{array}\right)\text{-}\left(\frac{\text{numberofbondingelectro}n}{2}\text{+numberofnonbondingelectron}\right) \\ \text{=6-}\left(\frac{4}{2}\text{+4}\right) \\ \text{=6-6} \\ =0 \end{gathered}$$

Calculation of formal charge on O in the middle

Using the above formula:

$$\begin{gathered} \text{formalcharge=}\left(\begin{array}{c}\text{numberof}\\ v\text{alanceelectronin}\\ \text{freeatom}\end{array}\right)\text{-}\left(\frac{\text{numberofbondingelectro}n}{2}\text{+numberofnonbondingelectron}\right) \\ \text{=6-}\left(\frac{6}{2}\text{+2}\right) \\ \text{=6-5} \\ =1 \end{gathered}$$

Calculation of formal charge on O on the right

Using the above formula:

$$\begin{gathered} \text{formalcharge=}\left(\begin{array}{c}\text{numberof}\\ v\text{alanceelectronin}\\ \text{freeatom}\end{array}\right)\text{-}\left(\frac{\text{numberofbondingelectro}n}{2}\text{+numberofnonbondingelectron}\right) \\ \text{=6-}\left(\frac{2}{2}\text{+6}\right) \\ \text{=6-7} \\ =1 \end{gathered}$$