What happens when a nitrogen atom fills its valence shell?

• A. It becomes highly reactive and forms more bonds.
• B. It achieves a stable octet configuration and becomes chemically inert.
• C. It loses all its electrons and becomes a cation.
• D. It gains a positive charge and acts as an oxidizing agent.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a nitrogen atom has 5 valence electrons in its outer shell.
2. Recall the octet rule, which states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a full valence shell of 8 electrons, leading to greater stability.
3. When nitrogen fills its valence shell by gaining 3 electrons (or sharing electrons through bonding), it achieves a stable octet configuration.
4. Achieving this stable octet makes the nitrogen atom chemically inert or less reactive because it has a full outer shell.
5. Therefore, the correct interpretation is that when nitrogen fills its valence shell, it attains stability and becomes chemically inert, rather than becoming reactive or charged.