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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: RoronoaZoro on September 09, 2012, 01:39:43 AM

Title: Nitric Acid bonds - How to interpret?
Post by: RoronoaZoro on September 09, 2012, 01:39:43 AM

Hello all - I'm super new to chemistry so this question is probably really (really) stupid.

Here goes:

I was reading a chemistry book and I found the Lewis structure for the nitric acid:


I don't understand what's happening here (let's forget about the +/- signs for now);

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-pC3OifKKaIs/UEwqsGlVnXI/AAAAAAAAL6U/NsJme8chkW0/s800/nitricAcid_before.JPG)

From my understanding of bonds, there are two kinds: 1) Ionic, where one atom gives an electron to another atom, and 2) Covalent, where two atoms share electrons.

However, from the above graph, I have no idea what's really happening. I understand that there's a covalent bond between H and O, and between the same O and N, which makes H stable, and that O (in the middle) stable. But what about N; N needs three electrons to be stable, but it seems that it's taking four somehow - how did that work. And also the O at the bottom right - it seems that it only took one instead of two.

Does that mean that this compound is not stable? Any enlightenment are appreciated.

Thanks

Title: Re: Nitric Acid bonds - How to interpret?
Post by: Vidya on September 09, 2012, 04:50:04 AM

You are right that N needs only three more electrons to get an octet around it.Now in this lewis structure N has 8 electrons around it and a formal + charge on the N as it has give two electrons  to form a  chemical bond with O carrying -ve charge .In this lewis structure all atoms are with satisfied octet and duplet(H).