NEET Chemistry Question (2026) — Solution

Step-by-step solution

The formal charge (FC) on an atom in a Lewis structure is given by the formula: FC = V - L - S 2 where V is the number of valence electrons, L is the number of non-bonding electrons, and S is the number of shared (bonding) electrons. For oxygen, the number of valence electrons is V = 6. For oxygen atom 1 (central atom): It has 1 lone pair (2 non-bonding electrons) and 3 bonds (6 shared electrons). FC_ 1 = 6 - 2 - 6 2 = +1 For oxygen atom 2 (left atom): It has 2 lone pairs (4 non-bonding electrons) and 2 bonds (4 shared electrons). FC_ 2 = 6 - 4 - 4 2 = 0 For oxygen atom 3 (right atom): It has 3 lone pairs (6 non-bonding electrons) and 1 bond (2 shared electrons). FC_ 3 = 6 - 6 - 2 2 = -1 The formal charges on oxygen atoms numbered 2, 1, and 3 respectively are 0, +1, -1. Answer: 0, +1, -1