In a typical covalent compound, how many single covalent bonds can a nitrogen atom form?

• A. Four
• B. One
• C. Three
• D. Two

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that a covalent bond involves the sharing of one pair of electrons between two atoms.
2. Consider the electron configuration of nitrogen, which is 1s² 2s² 2p³, meaning nitrogen has five valence electrons.
3. Since nitrogen needs a total of eight electrons to complete its octet, it will share three electrons with other atoms to form three covalent bonds.
4. Each single covalent bond corresponds to one shared pair of electrons, so nitrogen typically forms three single covalent bonds to satisfy the octet rule.
5. Therefore, in a typical covalent compound, a nitrogen atom forms three single covalent bonds.