The formal charge on P atom in orthophosphoric acid molecule is

Options

A. `+1`
B. `+3`
C. `+5`
D. 0

Explanation

To find the formal charge on the phosphorus (P) atom in orthophosphoric acid (H₃PO₄), we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Valence Electrons
Phosphorus is in group 15 of the periodic table and has 5 valence electrons.

### Step 2: Draw the Lewis Structure
To determine the formal charge, we need to draw the Lewis structure of H₃PO₄. In this structure:
- Phosphorus (P) is the central atom.
- It is bonded to three hydrogen (H) atoms and four oxygen (O) atoms.
- Each oxygen atom is bonded to phosphorus and has two lone pairs of electrons.

### Step 3: Count the Non-bonding Electrons
In the Lewis structure of H₃PO₄, phosphorus has no non-bonding (lone pair) electrons.

### Step 4: Count the Shared Electrons
In the Lewis structure, phosphorus forms 5 bonds (3 with hydrogen and 4 with oxygen). Each bond consists of 2 electrons, so the total number of shared electrons is:
- 3 H-P bonds = 3 x 2 = 6 electrons
- 1 P=O double bond = 2 electrons
- 3 P-O single bonds = 3 x 2 = 6 electrons
- Total shared electrons = 6 (from H) + 2 (from double bond) + 6 (from single bonds) = 14 electrons

### Step 5: Apply the Formal Charge Formula
The formula for calculating the formal charge (FC) is:
\[ \text{FC} = \text{Valence Electrons} - \text{Non-bonding Electrons} - \frac{1}{2} \times \text{Shared Electrons} \]

Substituting the values:
- Valence Electrons = 5 (for P)
- Non-bonding Electrons = 0 (for P)
- Shared Electrons = 8 (as calculated earlier)

So, the formal charge on phosphorus is:
\[ \text{FC} = 5 - 0 - \frac{1}{2} \times 8 \]
\[ \text{FC} = 5 - 0 - 4 \]
\[ \text{FC} = 1 \]

### Conclusion
The formal charge on the phosphorus atom in orthophosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) is +1.

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