How many valence electrons does a nitrogen atom have?

• A. 8
• B. 3
• C. 7
• D. 5

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell (energy level) of an atom that participate in chemical bonding.
2. Determine the atomic number of nitrogen, which is 7. This means a nitrogen atom has 7 electrons in total.
3. Write the electron configuration of nitrogen to see how these 7 electrons are distributed among the shells: \$1s^2 2s^2 2p^3$.
4. Identify the outermost shell, which is the second shell (n=2) containing the \$2s\( and \)2p$ orbitals.
5. Count the electrons in the outermost shell: \(2\) electrons in \$2s\( and \(3\) electrons in \)2p$, totaling \(5\) valence electrons.