What is the formal charge on the central atom of SOCl2 ? Group of answer choices0+1+2-2+3

To calculate the formal charge of the central atom in SOCl2, we need to follow these steps:

1. Identify the number of valence electrons for each atom in the molecule. Sulfur (S) has 6 valence electrons, Oxygen (O) also has 6, and Chlorine (Cl) has 7. However, since there are two Chlorine atoms, we multiply 7 by 2, giving us 14.

2. Add up the total number of valence electrons from all atoms. 6 (from S) + 6 (from O) + 14 (from 2 Cl) = 26 valence electrons.

3. Draw the Lewis structure of SOCl2. Sulfur is the central atom, surrounded by one Oxygen atom and two Chlorine atoms. Sulfur forms double bonds with Oxygen and single bonds with each Chlorine atom. This accounts for 22 + 21 + 2*1 = 8 electrons. The remaining 18 electrons will be distributed as lone pairs on the Oxygen and Chlorine atoms.

4. Calculate the formal charge. The formal charge is calculated as follows: Formal charge = [# of valence electrons on atom] - [non-bonding valence electrons + 1/2 bonding electrons]. For Sulfur, the central atom, this would be: Formal charge of S = 6 valence e- - [0 non-bonding e- + 1/2 * 8 bonding e-] = 6 - 4 = +2.

So, the formal charge on the central atom of SOCl2 is +2.