Question from AAMC 11 item 10

[RafMin]

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The answer explanation says that it does not violate the octet rule. However, N only has 7 electrons around it.

Do they mean that by not violating the octet rule that the valence e- of N and O add to 11, so this answer also has 11 e- around it? I am not used to seeing that as being referred to as a consequence of the octet rule.

Thanks!

 

[watchstopper]

The other options either have 10 or 12 electrons. I was having the same issue as you, and then I remembered that nitric oxide is a free radical, and also that an electron wouldn't randomly be missing or added, so it had to be C. So to answer your question, yes.

 

[PocketJacks]

The answer explanation says that it does not violate the octet rule. However, N only has 7 electrons around it.

Do they mean that by not violating the octet rule that the valence e- of N and O add to 11, so this answer also has 11 e- around it? I am not used to seeing that as being referred to as a consequence of the octet rule.

Thanks!

Violating the octet rule would be for example a C with 5 bonds (have more than 8 electrons around it). I had trouble with this question too but here's a good way to solve it:
NO is neutral right? so the formal charges of the atoms have to sum up to 0. Just calculate the FC for each atom for each possible answer you'll see that only one of them ends up summing up to 0.

FC = # of valence electrons - # of bonds - # of electrons in lone pairs

 

[RafMin]

Right, i just was a lil confused about the octet rule thing, i thought it meant you have to have 8 valence electrons.

Thanks for the tips!