How Do You Calculate The Formal Charge Of Cocl2?
When determining the formal charge of a molecule such as COCl2 (phosgene gas), you need to know the number of valence electrons for each atom and the Lewis structure of the molecule. Look up each atom in the periodic table of elements to determine the number of valence electrons. Remember that two electrons go in the first s shell, two electrons in the second s shell, six electrons in the first p shell, etc. As a reminder: 1s(^2)2s(^2)3p(^6)3s(^2)3p(^6) Adjust for charge. If the molecule is an ion, add or subtract one or more electrons overall to account for the final charge. For COCl2 (Phosgene gas): C = 4; O = 6; Cl = 7. The molecule is not ionized and has a neutral charge. Therefore, the total amount of valence electrons is 4 + 6 + (7×2) = 24. See the diagram for the Lewis structure of COCl2 (phosgene gas). The Lewis structure represents the most stable and probable structure for a molecule. Atoms are drawn with paired valence electrons; bonds are formed between lone electrons to sa
