[Joannes]

I had to write the Lewis structure for CH₃NO₂ and had little to no problems (only insecurity wa about the other structure with no formal charges with one oxygen bonded to the carbon), but I still don't understand what is the hybridization of N in that structure. I think it's sp² since there's a double bond but I don't know where the lone pair is "stationed" if that's the case.

[Babcock_Hall]

Can you show us what you drew?

[Joannes]

Can you show us what you drew?

This are the two structures I drew

[Babcock_Hall]

The two structures you labeled "major" both look fine to me.  I am not sure what you mean regarding the lone pair being stationed.  Is there some reason that nitrogen would not follow the normal rules regarding hybridization?

[Joannes]

The two structures you labeled "major" both look fine to me.  I am not sure what you mean regarding the lone pair being stationed.  Is there some reason that nitrogen would not follow the normal rules regarding hybridization?

Sorry for the late reply. My doubt was about how it hybridates. So what i figured out was that it forms 3 sp² orbitals, two of them with one electron, and one with a pair of electrons. Then there's a p orbital with a single electron. So it uses the p and one of the two sp² orbitals with a single electron to form the double bond with the oxygen, the other hybrid orbital with a single electron to form a bond with the carbon, and the last hybrid orbital with two electrons is used to form a coordinate bond with the oxygen which is connected to the nitrogen with only one bond. Is that right? And if so, does the nitrogen always form a coordinate bond when it has 4 bonds and no lone pair?

[rolnor]

The upper structure is a nitrite-ester.

I am not sure I understand, the electrons are not local?

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C9BKJA_enSE868SE868&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=nitro+compounds&hl=sv&fir=_eLntBK2PCY1xM%252C3Xc0u-QOEvYeNM%252C_%253BNO2beh9itLcFQM%252CRh_kbGA8CcHKjM%252C_%253BdBSJWxFQV6q6tM%252CWVFH4sK8M8vuxM%252C_%253BV-vGRqf3J18QBM%252CPOFq5FiiyzjEnM%252C_%253B4cExwTx2IAPNdM%252CxHC2dDBAGSFaZM%252C_%253B7Z5tfbDhdxRGFM%252CuXVzasmCYTNjrM%252C_%253BUSavZBXHP9XVUM%252CkiVgEjdzhv5CuM%252C_%253BLrS5DeYeEeVhQM%252CmHgOsE0tMKbqQM%252C_%253B4EizlcTc7vp4-M%252C0JMQJXfX48NVoM%252C_%253BpegFG6aASDxPTM%252CvCnZ8d9ZzP93fM%252C_%253BMN_PPz597SYtuM%252CuXVzasmCYTNjrM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kTne-cFYMUVyUcO0Vb7cieicW3llQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjq18eu38_3AhWMuosKHQvuCt8Q420oAHoECB0QBA&biw=1366&bih=915&dpr=2#imgrc=sYzCvC3EBNRbIM&imgdii=2auxZT6jaEw_IM

[Joannes]

The problem I have is that I'm not sure what hybridization does the nitrogen have and how are the electrons placed in its orbitals once it's hybridized basically. Is it sp²? If yes does the nitrogen form a coordinate bond whenever it has 4 bonds and a + charge?

[rolnor]

Its SP2

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitro_compound

[Babcock_Hall]

Johannes, Just a general comment.  I usually look at the molecule as a whole to think about its hybridization, as opposed to imagining the atom hybridizing and then becoming a molecule.

[rolnor]

I think MO-theory is complicated, I wish I could say I am an expert, I am not.

[hollytara]

If you believe in hybridization, the N is sp2

Hybridization is a useful fiction to help us visualize the bonding.

[rolnor]

"Believe"? Its not religion, its a model?