Sodium azide is a shock-sensitive compound that releases N2 upon physical impact. The compound is used in automobile airbags. The azide ion is N3-. (a) Draw the Lewis structure of the azide ion that minimizes formal charge (it does not form a triangle). Is it linear or bent?

Video transcript

Hey everyone, we're asked to draw a lewis structure of ozone with the least formal charge first. Let's go ahead and count. The total number of valence electrons will have to draw out Since oxygen is in our group six a and we have three of oxygen. We're going to multiply three times six valence electrons. This will get us to a total of 18 valence electrons. Now in order to find the lewis structure with the least formal charge will have to do some trial and error. So let's go ahead and create a structure with single bonds only between our oxygen's. To get to our 18 valence electrons will have to have three lone pairs on our terminal oxygen's and one lone pair on our middle, oxygen. calculating the formal charges on this, our terminal oxygen's will have a minus one charge, while our middle oxygen will have a plus two charge. Now let's go ahead and try adding in a double bond instead. So if we add one double bond and have one single bond, we'll have to add two lone pairs on the terminal oxygen with the double bond, and we'll have one lone pair on the oxygen in the middle and again, we'll have three lone pairs on our oxygen that is single bonded to the middle oxygen, determining our formal charges. Our middle carbon will have a plus one charge And our terminal carbon with three lone pairs is going to have a -1 charge. Now let's go ahead and try making a triple bond. If we create a triple bond instead of a double bond, the terminal carbon with a triple bond will have one lone pair in order to complete its octet. And our oxygen in the middle will also have one lone pair. While our oxygen that is single bonded to our middle oxygen will have three lone pairs. Our oxygen that is triple bonded to our middle oxygen will have a formal charge of plus one. Our oxygen in the middle will have a formal charge of zero, but it disobeys the octet rule, and lastly, our formal charge on our terminal oxygen, with three lone pairs will have a minus one charge, Comparing these three structures. We can say that the second one we drew out is our best structure. And the reason why is because our first option has too many charges. While our third structure that we drew out disobeys the octet rule, so our answer here is going to be the second structure we drew out. Now, I hope that made sense. And let us know if you have any questions