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QuestionChemistry

What is the formal charge on the chlorine atom in the chlorate ion (ClO^3−)?
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Answer

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Step 1:
I'll solve this step-by-step using proper LaTeX formatting:

Step 2:
: Determine the Lewis structure of the chlorate ion

- The chlorate ion ($$ClO_{3}^{-}$$) consists of one chlorine atom and three oxygen atoms
- The overall charge is - 1

Step 3:
: Calculate the number of valence electrons

- Total valence electrons: $$7 + 18 + 1 = 26$$ electrons
- Chlorine (Group 17): 7 valence electrons - Oxygen (Group 16): 6 valence electrons × 3 = 18 electrons - Negative charge adds 1 electron

Step 4:
: Calculate the formal charge using the formula:

- $$B$$ = number of bonding electrons
Where:

Step 5:
: Calculate formal charge for chlorine

\text{Formal Charge}_{\text{Cl}} = 7 - 2 - \frac{6}{2} = 7 - 2 - 3 = +1
- Valence electrons for chlorine: 7 - Non-bonding electrons on chlorine: 2 - Bonding electrons: 6

Final Answer

The formal charge on the chlorine atom in the chlorate ion is + 1.