I'm practicing lewis structures and I'm stuck on the one for NO3 -1 (nitrate ion). I understand that N has to be the central atom because it is the least electronegative, but I'm confused why all the O have to be bonded to the N atom.
With O=N-O-O, you get 3 zero formal charges and one -1 instead of one zero, two -1 and one 1, which seems better. Also, H2O2 is a straight line instead of having the both H and and one of the O around a central O atom, so I'm confused why the nitrate ion must be the opposite.