The nitrite ion, NO2−, plays a significant role in environmental chemistry and biological nitrogen cycles.
(a) Draw every valid resonance structure for NO2− that obeys the octet rule. Include all lone pairs and show formal charges.
(b) Using the resonance structures from part (a), determine the average N–O bond order in NO2−. Clearly show the steps in your calculation.
(c) Based on your bond-order result from part (b), predict whether the two N–O bond lengths in NO2− are expected to be equal or different. Justify your prediction.