Question

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

Answer 1

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

Explanation:

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 that for the purposes of assigning formal charge, we can go back to very old ideas that we learn when are introduced to bonding. In a covalent bond, electrons ARE SHARED between nuclei. An ionic bond is between a formal anion, and a formal cation, and thus involves the prior TRANSFER of electron.

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.