The formal charge on the sulfur atom in the Lewis structure for sulfur dioxide (SO₂) that minimizes the formal charges is _______.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The formal charge on the sulfur atom in the optimal Lewis structure for sulfur dioxide (SO2) is 0. This is because sulfur shares two double bonds with two oxygen atoms, giving it a total of six shared electrons in addition to its two non-bonded electrons, which matches sulfur's typical valence electron count of six.

The Formal Charge on the Sulfur Atom in the Lewis