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What is the Lewis structure of NO₃Cl and what are the formal charges on each atom?

User Amit Bhati
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Final answer:

The Lewis structure of NO₃Cl is determined by counting the valence electrons and arranging the bond connectivities. Each atom in NO₃Cl has formal charges of +1 (Nitrogen), 0 (Oxygen), and 0 (Chlorine).

Step-by-step explanation:

The Lewis structure of NO₃Cl is:

  • Count the valence electrons: Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons, Oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons, and Chlorine (Cl) has 7 valence electrons.
  • Draw the bond connectivities: N has 1 bond with Cl, and 3 bonds with O.
  • Place the remaining electrons to satisfy the octet rule: Oxygen gets 2 lone pair electrons, Chlorine gets 3 lone pair electrons, and Nitrogen gets 2 lone pair electrons.
  • The formal charges on each atom are as follows: Nitrogen has a formal charge of +1, Oxygen has a formal charge of 0, and Chlorine has a formal charge of 0.

User Nicolas Duponchel
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