Chapter 6, Problem 61P

Discuss the nature of the bonding in the nitrite ion $\left({\text{NO}}_2^{-}\right)$ . Draw the possible Lewis resonance diagrams for this ion. Use the VSEPR theory to determine the steric number, the hybridization of the central nitrogen atom, and the geometry of the ion. Show how the use of resonance structures can be avoided by introducing a de-localized $\pi$ MO. What bond order does the MO model predict for the $\text{N}—\text{O}$ bonds in the nitrite ion?