Dinitrogen monoxide has a structural formula of NNO and requires resonance structures in order to draw the Lewis structures of the molecule. Based on formal charge distributions, themostsignificant (stable) resonance structure for this molecule exhibits the order of formal charges for the 1st N, the central N, and the O atoms, respectively, as:

A. 0,+1,-1

B. - 1,+1,0

C. - 2,+3,-1

D. 0,0,0

Question

Chemistry

Sienna Pruitt

16 August, 12:18

Dinitrogen monoxide has a structural formula of NNO and requires resonance structures in order to draw the Lewis structures of the molecule. Based on formal charge distributions, themostsignificant (stable) resonance structure for this molecule exhibits the order of formal charges for the 1st N, the central N, and the O atoms, respectively, as:

A. 0,+1,-1

B. - 1,+1,0

C. - 2,+3,-1

D. 0,0,0

+4

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Ariel West · Answer 1

A. 0, + 1, - 1

Explanation:

You can draw the lewis structure for NNO 3 ways: With two double bonds N=N=O, with a triple bond between the N and O and single bond between the two N's, or a triple bond between the two N's and a single bond between the N and O.

The goal is to have formal charges that are as small as possible, to have no identical formal charges on adjacent atoms, and to have the most negative formal charge on the most electronegative atom. The most stable structure is the one with the triple bond between the two N's because it gives the formal charges 0, 1, and - 1 respectively. Unlike the other two structures, the negative formal charge is correctly placed on O, the most electronegative atom.