JEE Advanced levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 3 of 3pn198
In the Lewis structure of ozone with one double bond and one single bond (formal charges +1 on the central atom and −1 on one terminal atom), the total number of lone pairs on all three oxygen atoms is
A7
B6
C4
D5
Answer: B
Ozone has 18 valence electrons. The double-bonded terminal O has 2 lone pairs, the central O has 1, and the singly bonded terminal O− has 3. The total is 2+1+3=6 lone pairs (12 electrons) plus 3 bonding pairs (6 electrons).