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Formal Charge: How to tell if a Lewis Diagram is Correct. Calculating formal charge…. Formal charge is an accounting procedure applied to each atom. To calculate formal charge: # valence e - - (# non-bonding e - + ½ # bonding e - ). Consider H 2 CO 2.
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Formal Charge: How to tell if a Lewis Diagram is Correct Calculating formal charge…
Formal charge is an accounting procedure applied to each atom. • To calculate formal charge: # valence e- - (# non-bonding e- + ½ # bonding e-)
Consider H2CO2 # valence e- - (# non-bonding e- + ½ # bonding e-)
Alternate dot diagram # valence e- - (# non-bonding e- + ½ # bonding e-)
The best Lewis diagrams… • The sum of formal charges must equal 0 on all compounds; the best diagram has fewer formal charges. • For an ion, the sum of formal charges will equal the charge on the ion.