What is the Lewis structure of #SO_2#?

1 Answer
anor277
Sep 12, 2017

Well, we could write...#""^(-)O-ddotS^+=O#

Explanation:

...which gives a bent structure, where #/_O-S-O=119^@#.

Because there are 5 valence electrons around sulfur, rather than 6, the sulfur has a formal positive charge. The formally singly-bound oxygen is associated with 7 valence electrons, and thus bears A FORMAL negative charge, and of course you can draw the resonance isomer that equates the oxygen atoms.

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