Lewis Structure Generator
Nitric oxide · NO

NO Lewis Structure

NO has 11 valence electrons, so one electron cannot be paired. A useful Lewis contributor contains an N=O double bond, one nitrogen lone pair, two oxygen lone pairs and one unpaired electron on nitrogen.

Open NO in the generatorSee drawing steps
NO
:N•=O:
One unpaired electron makes NO a radical
Total valence electrons11
Bond order in Lewis contributor2
Unpaired electrons1
GeometryLinear

NO overview

Nitrogen contributes five electrons and oxygen contributes six. Because the total is odd, a conventional Lewis structure cannot give both atoms complete octets using only paired electrons.

How to draw NO

  1. Count 11 valence electrons.
  2. Connect nitrogen and oxygen.
  3. Use an N=O double bond in the displayed contributor.
  4. Place two lone pairs on oxygen and one lone pair on nitrogen.
  5. Place the final unpaired electron on nitrogen and verify the total.

Why NO is an octet exception

An odd total electron count guarantees at least one unpaired electron. Lewis structures show that bookkeeping fact, while molecular orbital theory gives a fuller explanation of the radical and actual bond order.

Common mistakes

  • Forcing all 11 electrons into pairs.
  • Drawing NO as N≡O without checking charges and electron count.
  • Showing the unpaired electron as a lone pair.
  • Confusing NO with NO⁺ or NO⁻.

Last reviewed: July 16, 2026. Lewis structures are simplified electron-bookkeeping models.