Formal charges

Definition

Formal charge is a concept used to identify the charge distribution within a molecule, calculated by assuming that electrons in chemical bonds are shared equally between atoms. It helps in determining the most stable structure of a molecule by comparing the number of valence electrons an atom has in a molecule with the number it would have in its neutral state.

Related terms

Electronegativity:

A measure of how strongly atoms attract bonding electrons to themselves.

Lewis Structure:

A diagrammatic method for representing the electron configuration around atoms in molecules, showing how valence electrons are distributed.

Resonance Structures:

Different Lewis structures for the same molecule that show different possible arrangements of electrons, contributing to the overall stability of the molecule