How many nitrogen atoms are in (NH4)3N?
The correct answer and explanation is:
To determine how many nitrogen atoms are in the chemical formula (NH4)3N(NH_4)_3N, let’s break it down:
- The formula consists of two parts: (NH4)3(NH_4)_3 and NN.
- (NH4)3(NH_4)_3 represents three ammonium ions, each of which contains one nitrogen atom and four hydrogen atoms. Therefore, there are 3 nitrogen atoms in the (NH4)3(NH_4)_3 part of the formula.
- The NN outside the parentheses is simply one nitrogen atom.
Thus, the total number of nitrogen atoms is: 3 (from (NH4)3)+1 (from N)=4 nitrogen atoms.3 \, (\text{from} \, (NH_4)_3) + 1 \, (\text{from} \, N) = 4 \, \text{nitrogen atoms}.
Explanation:
The molecular formula (NH4)3N(NH_4)_3N is composed of two distinct nitrogen-containing components. The (NH4)3(NH_4)_3 portion refers to three ammonium ions, each represented as NH4NH_4. In each ammonium ion, nitrogen is bonded to four hydrogen atoms, but the key element here is the nitrogen atom itself, which means each ammonium ion contributes one nitrogen atom to the molecule. Since there are three ammonium ions, this part of the molecule contains three nitrogen atoms.
Additionally, the NN outside the parentheses represents a single nitrogen atom. This atom is part of the overall compound, adding one more nitrogen to the total count.
In summary, the compound (NH4)3N(NH_4)_3N contains 4 nitrogen atoms: 3 from the ammonium ions and 1 from the isolated nitrogen atom.