Formal Charges
Formal charges have an important role in organic chemistry since this concept helps us to know whether an atom in a molecule is neutral/bears a positive or negative charge. Even if some molecules are neutral, the atoms within that molecule need not be neutral atoms.
Polarity Of Water
In simple chemical terms, polarity refers to the separation of charges in a chemical species leading into formation of two polar ends which are positively charged end and negatively charged end. Polarity in any molecule occurs due to the differences in the electronegativities of the bonded atoms. Water, as we all know has two hydrogen atoms bonded to an oxygen atom. As oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen thus, there exists polarity in the bonds which is why water is known as a polar solvent.
Valence Bond Theory Vbt
Valence bond theory (VBT) in simple terms explains how individual atomic orbitals with an unpaired electron each, come close to each other and overlap to form a molecular orbital giving a covalent bond. It gives a quantum mechanical approach to the formation of covalent bonds with the help of wavefunctions using attractive and repulsive energies when two atoms are brought from infinity to their internuclear distance.
**System Description:**
- The chemical structure shows a methyl group (CH₃) bonded to an oxygen atom.
- The oxygen atom (O) has two lone pairs of electrons and is connected to the carbon atom from the methyl group.
- An arrow is pointing toward the oxygen atom, highlighting it as the atom of interest for the formal charge calculation.
**Question Options:**
- -2
- -1
- 0
- +1
- +2
**Answer Choices:**
To answer, select the formal charge calculated for the oxygen atom based on the given structure and the provided lone pairs of electrons.
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**Explanation for Graph/Diagram:**
The diagram contains a representation of a molecule containing:
- A methyl group denoted as \( \text{H}_3\text{C}- \)
- An oxygen atom denoted as \( \text{O} \) with four lone pairs represented by pairs of dots surrounding the oxygen atom.
The objective is to calculate the formal charge on the oxygen atom as indicated by a black arrow. When calculating the formal charge, consider the number of valence electrons of oxygen (6 for O) minus the number of lone pair electrons (4 lone pairs = 4 electrons) and half the number of bonding electrons (2 from the single bond).
**Formal Charge Calculation for Oxygen (O):**
\[ \text{Formal Charge} = \text{(Valence Electrons)} - \text{(Lone Pair Electrons + ½ Bonding Electrons)} \]
\[ \text{Formal Charge} = 6 - (4 + ½ \cdot 2) \]
\[ \text{Formal Charge} = 6 - (4 + 1) \]
\[ \text{Formal Charge} = 6 - 5 \]
\[ \text{Formal Charge} = +1 \]
Therefore, the correct formal charge on the indicated oxygen atom is +1.](/v2/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.bartleby.com%2Fqna-images%2Fquestion%2Fb00ff254-c89e-4d98-9f37-4465f02914e3%2Faf39fd10-4451-4339-93b8-77b434de9339%2Fip8sedt_processed.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
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