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What is incorrect about the following Lewis structure for the NO2- ion?rnrnrnrn(i) n does not have enough electron pairsrn(ii) the total number of electron pairs is less than it should bernrnquestion 22 options:rnrni onlyrnrnrnii onlyrnrnrnboth i and IIrnrnrnneither i nor ii
Accepted Answer
The correct answer is I only. Here's why:
Nitrogen's Valence Electrons: Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons. In the NO2- ion, it forms two single bonds with oxygen atoms, using up 2 of its valence electrons. To achieve a stable octet, nitrogen needs 3 more electron pairs. The Lewis structure shown only has 2 pairs around nitrogen, hence, it doesn't have enough electron pairs.
Total Electron Pairs: The total number of electron pairs is correct. The NO2- ion has 18 valence electrons (5 from nitrogen, 6 from each oxygen, and 1 extra from the negative charge). These 18 electrons form 9 electron pairs (4 bonding pairs and 5 lone pairs).
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