Chapter 9, Problem 9.17QE

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

The factors that relate formal charges in Lewis structures to the relative stabilities of different connectivities of atoms in molecules and relative stabilities of different resonance structures have to be determined.

Concept Introduction:

Lewis structure is a representation used to denote the valence shell electrons present in a molecule. It is used to represent the arrangement of the electrons around individual atoms in a molecule. Electrons are shown as dots and for bonding electrons as a line between the two atoms.

The formal charge is a charge assigned to each atom in the structure. A formal charge is defined as the electric charge of an atom in a molecule. It depends on the number of valence electrons, number of electrons shared in a bond and the number of electrons not bound in the molecule.

Resonance structures are the group of two or more Lewis structures that collectively depicts the electronic bonding of a single species that include fractional bonds and fractional charges.