How many covalent bonds can a nitrogen atom typically form in a molecule?

• A. 4
• B. 3
• C. 1
• D. 2

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that the number of covalent bonds an atom can form is related to the number of valence electrons it has and how many more electrons it needs to complete its octet (8 electrons in the outer shell).
2. Determine the number of valence electrons in a nitrogen atom. Nitrogen is in group 15 of the periodic table, so it has 5 valence electrons.
3. Calculate how many electrons nitrogen needs to reach a full octet: 8 (full octet) - 5 (valence electrons) = 3 electrons needed.
4. Since each covalent bond involves sharing one pair of electrons (2 electrons), nitrogen typically forms 3 covalent bonds to share 3 electrons and complete its octet.
5. Therefore, the typical number of covalent bonds formed by a nitrogen atom in a molecule is 3.