Two nonequivalent Lewis structures can be drawn for nitrosyl fluoride, FNO
CHEMISTRY · Single correct · A Level · Chemistry · Bonding · Bonding
Problem
Two nonequivalent Lewis structures can be drawn for nitrosyl fluoride, FNO. Structure I has F–N=O with a lone pair on nitrogen. Structure II has F=N–O with a lone pair on oxygen. Based on formal-charge considerations, which structure is the more significant contributor to the resonance hybrid?
(a) Structure I, because the negative formal charge resides on the more electronegative oxygen.
(b) Structure II, because it places a positive formal charge on fluorine, the most electronegative atom.
(c) Structure I, because all atoms carry a formal charge of 0.
(d) Structure I, because resonance forms that contain the greatest number of single bonds are always preferred.