Draw the Lewis Structure for Nitric Oxide (NO) Ion

To draw the Lewis structure for the Nitric Oxide (NO) ion, follow these steps:

1. Determine the total number of valence electrons: Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons, and Oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons. Since NO is a neutral molecule, the total number of valence electrons is 5 + 6 = 11.
2. Draw the skeletal structure: Place the Nitrogen atom in the center and the Oxygen atom on one side, as Nitrogen is less electronegative than Oxygen.
3. Distribute the electrons: Start by placing a single bond between Nitrogen and Oxygen, which uses 2 electrons. This leaves you with 9 electrons to distribute.
4. Complete the octets: Place the remaining electrons around the atoms to complete their octets. Nitrogen will have 6 electrons (including the 2 in the bond), and Oxygen will have 8 electrons (including the 2 in the bond).
5. Check for formal charges: Calculate the formal charges to ensure the structure is correct. Nitrogen has a formal charge of +1, and Oxygen has a formal charge of -1, making the overall charge of the molecule neutral.

The final Lewis structure for NO looks like this:

  :N=O:

In this structure, the Nitrogen atom has a lone pair of electrons, and the Oxygen atom has three lone pairs of electrons. The double bond between Nitrogen and Oxygen represents the sharing of 4 electrons.