Hypothetical charge assigned to an atom in a molecule based on its valence shell
Formal charges in ozone and the nitrate anion
In chemistry, a formal charge (F.C. or q*), in the covalent view of chemical bonding, is the hypothetical charge assigned to an atom in a molecule, assuming that electrons in all chemical bonds are shared equally between atoms, regardless of relative electronegativity.[1][2] In simple terms, formal charge is the difference between the number of valence electrons of an atom in a neutral free state and the number assigned to that atom in a Lewis structure. When determining the best Lewis structure (or predominant resonance structure) for a molecule, the structure is chosen such that the formal charge on each of the atoms is as close to zero as possible.[2]
The formal charge of any atom in a molecule can be calculated by the following equation:
where V is the number of valence electrons of the neutral atom in isolation (in its ground state); L is the number of non-bonding valence electrons assigned to this atom in the Lewis structure of the molecule; and B is the total number of electrons shared in bonds with other atoms in the molecule.[2] It can also be found visually as shown below.
Formal charge and oxidation state both assign a number to each individual atom within a compound, they are compared and contrasted in a section below.
^Hardinger, Steve. "Formal Charges" (PDF). University of California, Los Angeles. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
^ abc"Formal Charge". Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
In chemistry, a formalcharge (F.C. or q*), in the covalent view of chemical bonding, is the hypothetical charge assigned to an atom in a molecule, assuming...
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magnesium diboride (MgB2). Each boron atom has a formal −1 charge and magnesium is assigned a formalcharge of +2. In this material, the boron centers are...
formalcharge of −1.[citation needed] This charge results from a combination formalcharge in which each of the three oxygens carries a −2⁄3 charge,[citation...
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atom with a formalcharge of zero (neutral), and sulfur is singly bonded to the other two oxygen atoms, which each carry a formalcharge of −1, together...
the atom’s formalcharge (if any) is added to that sum. The same caveat as above applies. An example of a Lewis structure with no formalcharge, illustrates...
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the bond may be considered a single bond with a formalcharge of +1 on the sulfur and a formalcharge of −1 on the nitrogen. The parent compound is sulfilimine...
process of transferring the electron from nitrogen to oxygen creates formalcharges, so the electronic structure may also be depicted as R 3N+ O− This electronic...
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than the others (the central atom has a formalcharge of +1, while the outer atoms each have a formalcharge of −1⁄2). Since the molecule has a bent geometry...
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hydrogens required to satisfy the octet rule, while a vertex labeled with a formalcharge and/or nonbonding electron(s) is understood to have the number of hydrogen...
with nitric acid HNO 3. The bicarbonate ion carries a negative one formalcharge and is an amphiprotic species which has both acidic and basic properties...
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species with carbon atom having three covalent bonds, and it bears a +1 formalcharge. But IUPAC confuses coordination number with valence, incorrectly considering...
stronger evidence leads to a greater likelihood of formalcharges. The minor's sex. Formalcharges are more likely to be filed against boys than against...
atom (from the Lewis acid) increases its valence and gains a negative formalcharge. (In this definition, the meaning of valence is equivalent to coordination...