In the best Lewis structure for BCl₃,what is the formal charge on the B atom?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Lewis structure for the given chemical formula can be drawn as:

B-Cl | S-BCl | S-BCl | P=S-S-P

To calculate the formal charge on the B atom, we need to count the number of valence electrons on an isolated B atom and then subtract the number of lone pair electrons and half of the bonding electrons around the B atom.

Number of valence electrons in an isolated B atom = 3
Number of lone pair electrons = 0
Number of bonding electrons = 3 (one bond with Cl and two bonds with S)

Formal charge = 3 - 0 - (3/2) = 0

Therefore, the formal charge on the B atom is 0. The best choice is B.

In the Best Lewis Structure for BCl3 ,what Is the Formal

In the Best Lewis Structure for BCl₃,what Is the Formal