A simple way to draw the preferred Lewis electron dot structure for the nitrite anion. I simply draw the valence electrons around each atom and place the extra electron on an unpaired electron. When there’s more than one unpaired electron, I put it the most electronegative atom. Then, I form bonds to make each atom as “happy” as possible (ie. complete octet). 
I prefer this method to the “add up all valence electrons + add/subtract the charges + distribute accordingly” method that is often taught in general chemistry textbooks. This method doesn’t require math or memorization, and it helps you understand formal charges! Oh, it also helps you draw a preferred Lewis structure (with the least amount of formal charge separation) on the first try….. Try this method to draw the preferred structure for sulfate anion (SO42-).
Lewis Structure (6): Nitrite ion
June 7, 2011
These may be older videos but they are really well explained. Much better than how my professor has explained them. Thanks for these videos.
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thank you for helping me out 
now i get why the formal charge for nitrogen is 0 
yay
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thank you texas
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GO RAIDERS! (I go to Texas Tech too) 
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You know that you use Formal charge to figure out what structure to use if you have resonance structures.
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Thanks! Awesome!
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Nice! thank you
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@zaloniii
Do you mean so the two outer oxygen atoms bond in a triangular form? I think that due to the negative charge it can’t do that because one of the outer oxygen atoms will no longer have an available bonding electron available. Also, that bond angle is quite constricting, and probably isn’t very stable due to steric effects of the nearby atoms
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Hey! Thanks. I got it but I was wondering, what if we join all the three with a single bond? It still gets satisfied with an octet! Would that be wrong?
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thanks,, that was very good 
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thanks! this helped a lot!
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thank you!
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@4evercallalistathea They dont have 8 valence electrons.
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this is making me more confust now my teacher taught it to me a different way but i still ended up with the same answer
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wow, this is sooo much simpler when shown in video than trying to learn it by book. Also doesnt put me to sleep.
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Thank you so much!!! I have been struggling with Lewis Structures of ions since grade ten and you have taught me how to draw them in 3 and a half minutes!
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THANKKK YOUUU <3
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You make it so much easier to comprehend this since you enunciate everything clearly. Thank you, this helped a lot.
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Nice video but you still made a slip of the tongue at 3:00 where you say nitrate instead of nitrite…
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thanks!
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Thank You very much.
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you teach much better than my chemistry teacher
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rahaha nerd
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Unpaired electrons are cool:)):P Can i sound geekier? I guess, geekiest….:))
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where’s the 1 extra electron came from????
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