Nitrogen has 5 valence electrons. What types of bonds would it form?
a. Nitrogen would share electrons with other atoms to get an additional 5 electrons in its outermost shell.
b. Nitrogen would form hydrogen bonds to “fill up” its outermost shell.
c. Nitrogen would “steal” one electron from one other atom.
d. Nitrogen would share electrons with other atoms to get an additional 3 electrons in its outermost shell.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Correct Answer:
d. Nitrogen would share electrons with other atoms to get an additional 3 electrons in its outermost shell.
Explanation:
Nitrogen has 5 valence electrons in its outermost shell, which can hold a maximum of 8 electrons. This means nitrogen requires 3 additional electrons to achieve a stable octet configuration, similar to noble gases.
To gain these 3 electrons, nitrogen typically forms covalent bonds by sharing electrons with other atoms. Covalent bonding allows both nitrogen and the other atoms to achieve stable configurations. For example, in a molecule like ammonia (NH₃), nitrogen shares one electron with each of the three hydrogen atoms, completing its octet and satisfying the hydrogen atoms’ need for 1 electron each.
Why the other options are incorrect:
- a. Nitrogen does not need 5 additional electrons because it already has 5 valence electrons and only requires 3 more to complete its octet.
- b. Hydrogen bonds are weak intermolecular forces that occur between molecules, not a way to “fill up” an outermost shell. They do not contribute to the formation of covalent or ionic bonds.
- c. Nitrogen does not “steal” electrons (which refers to ionic bonding) to complete its octet. While some elements like chlorine might gain electrons to form negative ions, nitrogen usually forms covalent bonds through sharing rather than fully transferring electrons.
Covalent Bonding in Nitrogen:
In addition to simple molecules like NH₃, nitrogen can form double or triple covalent bonds. In nitrogen gas (N₂), each nitrogen atom shares 3 electrons with the other, forming a triple bond, which is extremely strong and contributes to nitrogen gas’s chemical inertness.
By forming covalent bonds to share 3 electrons, nitrogen fulfills the octet rule, achieving stability in its outermost shell.