How many resonance structures does nitrite have?

1 Answer
Apr 30, 2014

The nitrite ion has two resonance structures.

When you draw Lewis structures for the nitrite ion, you find that you can draw two equivalent structures. One has an O⁻ on the left. The other has an O⁻ on the right.

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The actual structure is neither of these. It is a resonance hybrid of them both.