Formal Charge Worksheet

Formal Charge Worksheet
A formal charge compares the number of electrons around a "neutral atom" (an atom not in a
molecule) versus the number of electrons around an atom in a molecule. Formal charge is
assigned to an atom in a molecule by assuming that electrons in all chemical bonds are shared
equally between atoms, regardless of relative electronegativity. It is the hypothetical charge on the
atom if we could redistribute the electron sin the bonds evenly between the atoms in a molecule.
To calculate formal charges, we assign electrons in the molecule to individual atoms according to
these rules:
• Non-bonding electrons (lone pairs) are assigned to the atom on which they are located.
• Bonding electrons (SB, DB, TB) are divided equally between the two bonded atoms, so one
electron from each bond goes to each atom.
The formal charge of each atom in a molecule can be calculated using the following equation:
𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 = # 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑠 − # 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑠 − # 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠
# of bonds: each SB = 1, each DB = 2, each TB = 3
Practice Questions
Assign formal charges of all atoms in the following molecules:
Molecule Formal Charge (from left to right

A H C N N
B H C O N O
C C O
Molecule Formal Charge (from left to right)

D H C N =O -O
E H C N O
F H C O
G O O O
H H O S O
I H N O H

J H C S S C H
K H C C N
Using Formal Charge to Determine the Proper Molecular Structure

[credit from https://opentextbc.ca/chemistry/chapter/7-4-formal-charges-and-resonance/]
The arrangement of atoms in a molecule or ion is called its molecular structure. In many cases,
following the steps for writing Lewis structures may lead to more than one possible molecular
structure—different multiple bond and lone-pair electron placements or different arrangements
of atoms, for instance. A few guidelines involving formal charge can be helpful in deciding which of
the possible structures is most likely for a particular molecule or ion:
1. A molecular structure in which all formal charges are zero is preferable to one in which
some formal charges are not zero.
2. If the Lewis structure must have nonzero formal charges, the arrangement with the
smallest nonzero formal charges is preferable.
3. Lewis structures are preferable when adjacent formal charges are zero or of the opposite
sign.
4. When we must choose among several Lewis structures with similar distributions of formal
charges, the structure with the negative formal charges on the more electronegative atoms
is preferable.
To see how these guidelines apply, let us consider some possible structures for carbon dioxide,
CO2. We know from our previous discussion that the less electronegative atom typically occupies
the central position, but formal charges allow us to understand why this occurs. We can draw
three possibilities for the structure: carbon in the center and double bonds, carbon in the center
with a single and triple bond, and oxygen in the center with double bonds:
Comparing the three formal charges, we can definitively identify the structure on the left as
preferable because it has only formal charges of zero (Guideline 1).
As another example, the thiocyanate ion, an ion formed from a carbon atom, a nitrogen atom, and
a sulfur atom, could have three different molecular structures: CNS–, NCS–, or CSN–. The formal
charges present in each of these molecular structures can help us pick the most likely
arrangement of atoms. Possible Lewis structures and the formal charges for each of the three
possible structures for the thiocyanate ion are shown here:
Note that the sum of the formal charges in each case is equal to the charge of the ion (–1).
However, the first arrangement of atoms is preferred because it has the lowest number of atoms
with nonzero formal charges (Guideline 2). Also, it places the least electronegative atom in the
center, and the negative charge on the more electronegative element (Guideline 4).
Practice
1. Nitrous oxide, N2O, commonly known as laughing gas, is used as an anesthetic in minor
surgeries, such as the routine extraction of wisdom teeth. Which is the likely structure for
nitrous oxide?
2. Which is the most likely molecular structure for the nitrite (NO2−) ion?

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Formal Charge Worksheet

Molecule Formal Charge (from left to right

Molecule Formal Charge (from left to right)

Molecule Formal Charge (from left to right)

Using Formal Charge to Determine the Proper Molecular Structure

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