Which of the following statements correctly describes the Lewis dot structure of the neutral compound CH3NO2 (nitromethane)?

• A. The nitrogen atom is bonded to two oxygen atoms, one via a double bond and one via a single bond, with a formal charge of +1 on nitrogen and -1 on one oxygen.
• B. The nitrogen atom is bonded to one oxygen atom via a double bond and to the carbon atom via a triple bond.
• C. The carbon atom is directly bonded to both oxygen atoms, with nitrogen attached only to carbon.
• D. The nitrogen atom is bonded to two oxygen atoms, both via single bonds, with no formal charges on any atom.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the total number of valence electrons available for the molecule CH3NO2 by summing the valence electrons of each atom: carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O).
2. Determine the skeletal structure of nitromethane, where the carbon atom is bonded to three hydrogens and the nitrogen atom, and the nitrogen atom is bonded to two oxygen atoms.
3. Draw single bonds between the atoms according to the skeletal structure, then distribute the remaining valence electrons to satisfy the octet rule for each atom, starting with the outer atoms (hydrogens, oxygens) and then the central atoms (carbon, nitrogen).
4. Adjust the bonding by introducing double bonds if necessary to complete octets, especially between nitrogen and oxygen atoms, and calculate formal charges on nitrogen and oxygen atoms to find the most stable Lewis structure.
5. Compare the formal charges and bonding patterns to the given options, noting that the correct Lewis structure has nitrogen bonded to two oxygens (one with a double bond and one with a single bond), with a formal charge of +1 on nitrogen and -1 on one oxygen.