Question

Calculate the formal charge of each element of the following compounds

i) Co2
ii) So3​

Answer 1

Answer:

i) CO2  is a neutral molecule with 16 total valence electrons. There are three different ways to draw the Lewis structure.

Carbon single bonded to both oxygen atoms (carbon = +2, oxygens = −1 each, total formal charge = 0).

Carbon single bonded to one oxygen and double bonded to another (carbon = +1, oxygendouble = 0, oxygensingle = −1, total formal charge = 0).

Carbon double bonded to both oxygen atoms (carbon = 0, oxygens = 0, total formal charge =0).

Even though all three structures gave us a total charge of zero, the final structure is the superior one because there are no charges in the molecule at all.

Explanation: