What is the formal charge for C2H6? Please Help Me!!!
1 Answer
Why ZERO.....
Explanation:
Formal charge is a bit of a pain to assign...but formally you could go back to the Periodic Table, and assign it from first principles. You got a formula of
A single covalent bond represents 2 electrons....and these are shared between 2 atoms for porpoises of assignment...so all the hydrogen atoms have 1 electron from this bond...and so the hydrogens are ELECTRICALLY neutral. Each carbon atom also has 4 electrons from each covalent bond....i.e. from the
There result is that EACH carbon has 6 electrons....there are SIX nuclear charges, 6 positive charges...and thus each carbon are also ELECTRICALLY neutral. And so this species is NEUTRAL.
We could also go to an ionic species, sodium chloride...which we represent as
Here we gots sodium metal,
And so chlorine did have 17 electrons ... it now has 18...and do you agree with assignment of positive and negative charge?
And so now can you tell us WHERE, i.e. which atom, has the formal charge in
Here's another example, and here, and here. This will keep you occupied....