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Formal charge
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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.
Examples
[edit]- Example: CO2 is a neutral molecule with 16 total valence electrons. There are 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.
Pictorial method
[edit]The following is equivalent:
- Draw a circle around the atom for which the formal charge is requested (as with carbon dioxide, below)
- Count up the number of electrons in the atom's "circle." Since the circle cuts the covalent bond "in half," each covalent bond counts as one electron instead of two.
- Subtract the number of electrons in the circle from the number of valence electrons of the neutral atom in isolation (in its ground state) to determine the formal charge.
- The formal charges computed for the remaining atoms in this Lewis structure of carbon dioxide are shown below.
It is important to keep in mind that formal charges are just that – formal, in the sense that this system is a formalism. The formal charge system is just a method to keep track of all of the valence electrons that each atom brings with it when the molecule is formed.
Usage conventions
[edit]In organic chemistry convention, formal charges are an essential feature of a correctly rendered Lewis–Kekulé structure, and a structure omitting nonzero formal charges is considered incorrect, or at least, incomplete. Formal charges are drawn in close proximity to the atom bearing the charge. They may or may not be enclosed in a circle for clarity.
In contrast, this convention is not followed in inorganic chemistry. Many workers in organometallic and a majority of workers in coordination chemistry will omit formal charges, unless they are needed for emphasis, or they are needed to make a particular point.[3] Instead a top-right corner ⌝ will be drawn following the covalently-bound, charged entity, in turn followed immediately by the overall charge.

The top-right corner ⌝ is sometimes replaced by square brackets enclosing the entire charged species, again with the total charge written in the upper right corner, just outside the brackets.
This difference in practice stems from the relatively straightforward assignment of bond order, valence electron count, and hence, formal charge for compounds only containing main-group elements (though oligomeric compounds like organolithium reagents and enolates tend to be depicted in an oversimplified and idealized manner), but transition metals have an unclear number of valence electrons so there is no unambiguous way to assign formal charges.
Formal charge compared to oxidation state
[edit]The formal charge is a tool for estimating the distribution of electric charge within a molecule.[1][2] The concept of oxidation states constitutes a competing method to assess the distribution of electrons in molecules. If the formal charges and oxidation states of the atoms in carbon dioxide are compared, the following values are arrived at:
The reason for the difference between these values is that formal charges and oxidation states represent fundamentally different ways of looking at the distribution of electrons amongst the atoms in the molecule. With the formal charge, the electrons in each covalent bond are assumed to be split exactly evenly between the two atoms in the bond (hence the dividing by two in the method described above). The formal charge view of the CO2 molecule is essentially shown below:
The covalent (sharing) aspect of the bonding is overemphasized in the use of formal charges since in reality there is a higher electron density around the oxygen atoms due to their higher electronegativity compared to the carbon atom. This can be most effectively visualized in an electrostatic potential map.
With the oxidation state formalism, the electrons in the bonds are "awarded" to the atom with the greater electronegativity. The oxidation state view of the CO2 molecule is shown below:
Oxidation states overemphasize the ionic nature of the bonding; the difference in electronegativity between carbon and oxygen is insufficient to regard the bonds as being ionic in nature.
In reality, the distribution of electrons in the molecule lies somewhere between these two extremes. The inadequacy of the simple Lewis structure view of molecules led to the development of the more generally applicable and accurate valence bond theory of Slater, Pauling, et al., and henceforth the molecular orbital theory developed by Mulliken and Hund.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Hardinger, Steve. "Formal Charges" (PDF). University of California, Los Angeles. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Formal Charge". Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ "Chapter 48, Organometallic Chemistry". Organic chemistry. Clayden, Jonathan. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2001. pp. 1311-1314. ISBN 0198503474. OCLC 43338068.
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Formal charge
View on GrokipediaFundamentals
Definition
Formal charge is a hypothetical charge assigned to an atom within a molecule or ion, calculated under the assumption that all bonding electrons are shared equally between the bonded atoms, irrespective of differences in electronegativity. This concept treats covalent bonds as if each atom contributes equally to the shared electron pairs, allowing chemists to assess the electron distribution in a structure as a simple bookkeeping device.[1] The idea originates from Lewis electron dot structures, where atoms are represented by their valence electrons as dots, and bonds are depicted as pairs of dots shared between atoms. In these structures, formal charge ignores actual electron density shifts due to electronegativity, instead assuming a neutral covalent bond where each atom "owns" one electron from each bond pair. This approach simplifies the analysis of molecular electron arrangements without considering ionic character or polarization effects.[4] Key components in determining formal charge include the atom's valence electrons (those available for bonding in its neutral state), non-bonding electrons (lone pairs fully assigned to the atom), and bonding electrons (shared pairs, with half assigned to the atom in this model). These elements enable a straightforward evaluation of charge assignment in Lewis diagrams.[5] The concept of formal charge developed from the Lewis electron dot structures introduced by Gilbert N. Lewis in his 1916 paper on the octet rule and shared-pair bonding theory. Lewis's framework emphasized stable electron configurations resembling noble gases, laying the foundation for using formal charges to evaluate structure plausibility.[4]Purpose
The formal charge concept serves as a key tool in chemistry for evaluating the stability of Lewis structures by providing a method to assess electron distribution under the assumption of equal sharing in bonds. Structures that minimize the sum of absolute formal charges, particularly those where most atoms have a formal charge of zero, are generally considered the most stable and preferred representations of molecules.[6] This approach allows chemists to select among possible resonance forms or alternative arrangements, favoring those that align with observed molecular behaviors without requiring advanced computational methods.[7] Beyond stability assessment, formal charge helps distinguish between ionic and covalent bonding characteristics by modeling bonds as fully covalent, in contrast to oxidation states that assume complete electron transfer typical of ionic compounds. This distinction highlights the modeling of bonds as fully covalent in formal charge calculations, in contrast to oxidation states that assume complete electron transfer as in ionic compounds.[8] Furthermore, it informs reactivity patterns by identifying potential nucleophilic or electrophilic sites; atoms with negative formal charges are more likely to act as nucleophiles, donating electrons, while those with positive charges serve as electrophiles, accepting them in reactions.[9] In educational contexts, formal charge facilitates teaching electron distribution and bonding principles at an introductory level, bypassing the complexities of quantum mechanics to emphasize classical valence shell models. This bookkeeping method reinforces conceptual understanding of how electrons contribute to molecular geometry and properties, making it accessible for students learning Lewis structures.[10]Calculation Method
Formula
The formal charge on an atom within a Lewis structure of a molecule or ion is given by the equation where is the number of valence electrons assigned to the neutral atom (typically equal to its group number in the periodic table for main-group elements), is the number of nonbonding electrons (i.e., electrons in lone pairs) assigned to that atom, and is the total number of bonding electrons (i.e., twice the number of bonds, since each bond consists of a shared pair of electrons) surrounding the atom.[11] This formula derives from the principles of electron distribution in Lewis structures, where valence electrons represent the atom's inherent capacity for bonding based on its periodic table group, nonbonding electrons are those held exclusively by the atom in lone pairs (counted as 2 electrons per pair), and bonding electrons are the shared pairs in covalent bonds, with each atom formally assigned half of these shared electrons to reflect an equal division of the bond.[11] The concept of formal charge, including this equal splitting of bonding electrons, was developed as part of G. N. Lewis's foundational work on Lewis structures in 1916, which introduced shared electron pairs and the octet rule to describe bonding and assess charge separation without implying actual electron transfer.[4] All quantities in the formula are integers representing the count of electrons, yielding integer values for formal charge (positive, negative, or zero), and electrons are conventionally tallied in pairs within Lewis diagrams for consistency.[11]Step-by-Step Procedure
To calculate formal charges in a molecule or ion, begin by constructing an accurate Lewis structure that accounts for the total valence electrons contributed by all atoms, adjusted for any overall molecular charge. This ensures the electron distribution is properly represented before assigning charges to individual atoms.[1] The procedure involves the following steps for each atom in the structure:- Determine the number of valence electrons for the atom in its neutral state, which corresponds to its group number in the periodic table for main-group elements.[12]
- Identify and count the nonbonding electrons (lone pairs) directly assigned to that atom in the Lewis structure.[1]
- Count the total number of bonding electrons surrounding the atom (twice the number of bonds, since each bond consists of two electrons), then divide by two to find the atom's assigned share of those bonding electrons.[13]
- Subtract the number of nonbonding electrons and the atom's share of bonding electrons from the number of valence electrons to obtain the formal charge for that atom.[1]
- Repeat the calculation for every atom in the structure, then sum the formal charges; the total should equal zero for a neutral molecule or match the overall charge of an ion to verify the structure's validity.[12]





