How many covalent bonds does a nitrogen atom typically form, and how many covalent bonds does a chlorine atom typically form?

• A. Nitrogen forms 4 covalent bonds; chlorine forms 3 covalent bonds.
• B. Nitrogen forms 1 covalent bond; chlorine forms 3 covalent bonds.
• C. Nitrogen forms 2 covalent bonds; chlorine forms 2 covalent bonds.
• D. Nitrogen forms 3 covalent bonds; chlorine forms 1 covalent bond.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that the number of covalent bonds an atom typically forms corresponds to the number of unpaired electrons in its valence shell that it can share to complete an octet.
2. For nitrogen (N), which has 5 valence electrons, determine how many electrons are unpaired by writing its electron configuration or Lewis dot structure. Nitrogen has 3 unpaired electrons, so it typically forms 3 covalent bonds.
3. For chlorine (Cl), which has 7 valence electrons, identify the number of unpaired electrons. Chlorine has 1 unpaired electron, so it typically forms 1 covalent bond.
4. Use the octet rule as a guiding principle: atoms tend to form enough covalent bonds to complete their octet (8 electrons) in the valence shell.
5. Summarize that nitrogen forms 3 covalent bonds and chlorine forms 1 covalent bond based on their valence electron configurations and the octet rule.