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Question

How would you calculate the formal charge of NH3?


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Solution

Formal charge:-

  • Formal charge of a compound can be calculated by the formula:

FC=VNB2

  • Here, FC= Formal charge, V= number of valence electrons in a free atom, N= total number of non-bonding electrons, B= total number of bonding electrons

Formal charge of NH3:-

  • Structure of NH3is:

Step 1: Formal charge of Nitrogen

Here Nitrogen is the free atom and the number of valence electrons of it is 5.

Number of non-bonding electrons is 2 and bonding electrons are 6

Formal charge of Nitrogen is

FC=VNB2FC=5-2-(62)FC=5-5FC=0

Step 2: Formal charge of Hydrogen

Here hydrogen is the free atom and the number of valence electrons of it is 1.

Number of non-bonding electrons is 0 and bonding electrons are 2

Formal charge of hydrogen is

FC=VNB2FC=1-0-(22)FC=1-1FC=0

Step 4: Formal charge of NH3

Adding all the three different formal charges of Nitrogen and Hydrogen we get the formal charge of NH3

Formal charge of NH3is

FC=0+3×(0)FC=0 [since NH3contains 3 hydrogen atoms]

Therefore, the formal charge of NH3 is 0


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