Which of the following is the correct Lewis dot structure for a neutral molecule of N2?

• A. :N–N:
• B. :N≡N:
• C. :N=N:
• D. N–N

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Determine the total number of valence electrons available for the N₂ molecule. Each nitrogen atom has 5 valence electrons, so for N₂, total valence electrons = 5 × 2 = 10.
2. Step 2: Draw a skeleton structure connecting the two nitrogen atoms with a single bond. This uses 2 electrons (one pair) out of the total 10.
3. Step 3: Distribute the remaining electrons around the nitrogen atoms to satisfy the octet rule. Each nitrogen atom should have 8 electrons around it (including bonding and lone pairs).
4. Step 4: If the octet rule is not satisfied with a single bond, increase the bond order by adding double or triple bonds between the nitrogen atoms. Each additional bond uses 2 more electrons.
5. Step 5: Confirm that the final structure has 10 electrons total, both nitrogen atoms have complete octets, and the molecule is neutral. The correct Lewis structure for N₂ is the one with a triple bond between the two nitrogen atoms, represented as \(\:\mathrm{N}\equiv\mathrm{N}\:\).