Why is the structure of $\ce{HNO3}$ have a central atom rather than being linear?
I know formal charges need to be reduced as much as possible, and if there was a structure with two oxygens and a hydrogen dangling off the nitrogen on one side and with a double bonded oxygen on the other, wouldn't that make all atoms in it have a formal charge of $0$ while obeying all the rules?
To clarify, the order is hydrogen, single bond, oxygen, single bond, oxygen, single bond, nitrogen, double bond, and the last oxygen.