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Formal Charge definitions

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  • Formal Charge
    Charge assigned to an atom assuming equal sharing of electrons, calculated using valence electrons, bonds, and nonbonding electrons.
  • Valence Electrons
    Electrons corresponding to the group number of an element in the periodic table, involved in forming chemical bonds.
  • Bonding Electrons
    Electrons that participate in chemical bonds between atoms, contributing to molecule formation.
  • Nonbonding Electrons
    Electrons not involved in bonding, counted individually when calculating formal charge.
  • Electronegativity
    Tendency of an atom to attract electrons in a bond, not considered in formal charge calculations.
  • Net Charge
    Overall charge of a compound, determined by summing all formal charges of its atoms.
  • Electron Cloud
    Region around an atom where electrons are likely to be found, influenced by electronegativity.
  • Chemical Bonds
    Connections between atoms involving shared or transferred electrons, forming molecules.
  • Periodic Table
    Tabular arrangement of elements by increasing atomic number, indicating valence electrons.
  • Group Number
    Number assigned to a column in the periodic table, indicating the number of valence electrons.