Question

Draw the resonance structures for the thiocyanate ion then calculate the formal charges for the atoms and determine which one is a more favorable structure with the explanation.

Answer 1

The thiocyanate ion has three resonance structures: NCS, CNS, and CSN. The CSN structure is the most favorable with formal charges of 0, +1, and -1.

Step-by-step explanation:

The thiocyanate ion, often written as SCN-, has multiple resonance structures. Resonance structures occur when the connectivity of atoms is the same but the placement of electrons differs. For the thiocyanate ion, the three resonance structures are NCS, CNS, and CSN. The formal charges for each structure is as follows:

- NCS: Nitrogen has a formal charge of -1, Carbon has a formal charge of 0, and Sulfur has a formal charge of +1.

- CNS: Carbon has a formal charge of -1, Nitrogen has a formal charge of 0, and Sulfur has a formal charge of +1.

- CSN: Carbon has a formal charge of 0, Sulfur has a formal charge of +1, and Nitrogen has a formal charge of -1.

Based on the guidelines for formal charges, the most favorable structure is the one with formal charges closest to zero. In this case, the CSN structure has formal charges of 0, +1, and -1, which is the most favorable.