What is the formal charge on each atom in the methyl carbocation?

Question

Christian Anderson · Accepted Answer

In #H_3C^+#, the which is a formal CATION?

Each hydrogen atom is formally neutral....they gets ONE electron from each covalent bond...the carbon also gets ONE electron from each covalent bond, and has two inner core electrons, formally the #1s^2#...and so carbon has 5 electronic charges...but NECESSARILY 6 positive, nucular charges... And thus the FORMAL charge is #+1# Just to add, we can refer back to very basic concepts learned when we are first introduced to bonding in order to assign formal charge: in an ionic bond, electrons are transferred beforehand, whereas in a covalent bond, electrons ARE SHARED between nuclei. If we take say methane, with FOUR #C-H# covalent bonds, we split this up to give #4xxdotH#, and a carbon atom with 4 valence electrons. The hydrogen ATOMS are neutral, because they have a positive nuclear charge, and also an electronic charge. And hence the hydrogens are neutral. Likewise, the carbon atom claims 4 electrons from the four #C-H# bonds, and has 2 inner core electrons (i.e. formally the #1s^2# electrons. And so each carbon has 6 electrons, and there are 6 positive nuclear charges. The carbon atom in methane is also thus electronically neutral.

Jacob Anderson · Answer

undefined In a methyl carbocation (CH3+), the carbon atom carries a formal charge of +1, while each hydrogen atom carries a formal charge of 0.