Like nitric acid, each of the following inorganic compounds will be frequently encountered...

Like nitric acid, each of the following inorganic compounds will be frequently encountered in this text. Calculate the formal charge on each of the atoms in the Lewis structures given.

Sample Solution (a) The formal charge is the difference between the number of valence electrons in the neutral atom and the electron count in the Lewis structure. (The number of valence electrons is the same as the group number in the periodic table for the main- group elements.)

The formal charges are shown in the Lewis structure of thionyl chloride as