Question

Calculate the formal charge of chlorine in the molecules Cl₂, BeCl₂, and ClF₅.

a) Cl₂: 0; BeCl₂: 0; ClF₅: 0
b) Cl₂: 0; BeCl₂: -1; ClF₅: +1
c) Cl₂: 0; BeCl₂: +1; ClF₅: 0
d) Cl₂: 0; BeCl₂: 0; ClF₅: -1

Answer 1

The formal charge of chlorine in Cl2, BeCl2, and ClF5 is 0. Option a

Step-by-step explanation:

The formal charge of an atom in a molecule is the hypothetical charge the atom would have if we could redistribute the electrons in the bonds evenly between the atoms. To calculate the formal charge, we subtract the number of lone pair electrons and the number of bonding electrons from the number of valence shell electrons for the neutral atom.

For Cl2, each chlorine atom has 7 electrons assigned to it, and since there are no lone pair electrons and one bond, the formal charge is 0.

For BeCl2, the chlorine atom has 7 electrons assigned to it, and since there are no lone pair electrons and two bonds, the formal charge is 0.

For ClF5, each chlorine atom has 7 electrons assigned to it, and since there are no lone pair electrons and five bonds, the formal charge is 0. Option a