Questions: The average bond order is the number of bonds between two atoms taking into account resonance. Draw a Lewis structure for nitryl chloride and answer the questions below. 1. There are equivalent Lewis structures for NO2Cl. (number) 2. The average N - O bond order is

Solution Steps

To determine the number of equivalent Lewis structures and the average bond order, we first need to draw the Lewis structure for nitryl chloride (NO\(_2\)Cl).

1. Count the total number of valence electrons:

   • Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons.
   • Each oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons, and there are two oxygens.
   • Chlorine (Cl) has 7 valence electrons.
   • Total valence electrons = \(5 + 2 \times 6 + 7 = 24\).

2. Draw the skeleton structure:

   • Place nitrogen (N) in the center, with two oxygens (O) and one chlorine (Cl) around it.

3. Distribute the electrons:

   • Form single bonds between N and each O, and between N and Cl.
   • Distribute the remaining electrons to satisfy the octet rule for each atom.

4. Consider resonance structures:

   • Nitryl chloride has resonance structures where the double bond can be between N and either of the two oxygens.

There are two equivalent resonance structures for NO\(_2\)Cl:

1. One structure with a double bond between N and the first O, and a single bond between N and the second O.
2. Another structure with a double bond between N and the second O, and a single bond between N and the first O.

The bond order is the number of bonds between two atoms. In the resonance structures:

• One N-O bond is a double bond (bond order = 2).
• The other N-O bond is a single bond (bond order = 1).

The average bond order for the N-O bonds is calculated as follows: \[ \text{Average bond order} = \frac{\text{Sum of bond orders}}{\text{Number of bonds}} = \frac{2 + 1}{2} = 1.5 \]

Final Answer