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Home > Articles > Formal Charge Formula: Definitions, Examples, Significance, Fun Facts, Importance, Why it Exists
Updated on 26th June, 2023 , 4 min read
An atom in a covalently bound molecule is given a charge called a formal charge. Without taking into account relative electronegativity, it is believed that the chemical bonds are dispersed evenly among the atoms. The formal charge of an ion or an atom of a polyatomic molecule is the difference between the valence electron of an atom of a polyatomic molecule in the state of the element and the allocated number of electrons in the atom with Lewis structure.
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In chemistry, a formal charge (F.C. or q*) is the hypothetical charge attributed to an atom in a molecule under the covalent perspective of chemical bonding, assuming that electrons in all chemical bonds are shared equally between atoms regardless of relative electronegativity. The formal charge is defined as the difference between an atom's number of valence electrons in a neutral free state and the number allocated to that atom in a Lewis structure.
The difference between the valence electron of an atom in the elemental state and the number of electrons allocated to that atom in Lewis structure is called the formal charge over that atom in a polyatomic molecule or ion.
The proton is an unbonded, unpaired hydrogen atom with a formal charge of 1+. The hydride ion is a hydrogen atom with two electrons attached to it, no bonds, and a formal charge of one. A hydrogen atom with one unpaired electron, no bonds, and a formal charge of zero is known as a hydrogen radical.
The following are some of the significance of the formal charge formula-
The following are the importance of formal charge formula-
It may be stated mathematically using the following formula-
A formal charge exists as a result of flaws in the atomic configurations that contribute to the production of molecules. When more than one resonant structure is conceivable, it is the formal charge that makes a certain arrangement and configuration acceptable for a molecule.
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By - Nikita Parmar 2024-09-06 10:59:22 , 6 min readAns. If the number of assigned electrons is close to the group number, then the formal charge should be zero. The sum of the formal charges of each atom makes up the overall charge of the molecule or ion.
Ans. A formal charge exists as a result of flaws in the atomic configurations that contribute to the production of molecules. When more than one resonant structure is conceivable, it is the formal charge that makes a certain arrangement and configuration acceptable for a molecule.
Ans. The formal charges can be decreased by having a single pair of electrons if the formal charges 1+ and 1- are placed side by side. The 1- charge and the 1+ charge share atoms, forming a bonding pair of electrons.
Ans. The Lewis structure is a straightforward way to describe the electrons in a molecule’s valence shell. The Lewis structure describes how each atom’s surrounding electrons are arranged in a molecule.
Ans. The carbon atom possesses three external electrons and one pair of internal electrons because of triple bonding. It possesses two more inner core electrons, giving it a total of 7 electrons. Given that it has an atomic number of 6, the carbon atom is formally negatively charged.