What are the Formal Charges in Ozone

Answer: Ozone

An unstable, diamagnetic, blue gas with a pungent odour is called ozone. It protects the earth and its habitat from penetrating ultraviolet radiation from the sun. It is denoted by O₃.

Properties of ozone-

• The molecule’s overall hybrid structure is composed of two major resonance structures.
• The 2 structures are found to be similar to the standpoint of equilibrium.
• Each structure has a positive and negative formal charge on each of the two oxygen atoms.

Formal charges in ozone (O₃)

The difference between the valence electron of an atom of a polyatomic molecule or ion in the elemental state and the number of electrons assigned to the atom in Lewis’s structure is called the formal charge of an atom.

Formal charge =

 [Total no. of valence e– in the free state] – [total no. of non-bonding pair e– (lone pair)] – 1/2 [total no. of bonding e–]

F.C = 6 – 2 – 1/2(6)

F.C = 4 – 3

F.C = 1

The central atom of ozone has formal charge + 1.