Question 2.7: The Lewis dot structure for nitrogen shows five valence elec...
The Lewis dot structure for nitrogen shows five valence electrons. Write
the expanded electron configuration for nitrogen and show to which orbitals its five valence electrons are assigned.
Strategy
Locate nitrogen in the Periodic Table and determine its atomic number. In an electrically neutral atom, the number of negatively charged
extranuclear electrons is the same as the number of positively charged
protons in its nucleus. The order of filling of orbitals is 1s 2s 2p_{x} 2p_{y} 2p_{z} 3s, etc.
Nitrogen, atomic number 7, has the following ground-state electron
configuration:
The five valence electrons of the Lewis dot structure are the two paired
electrons in the 2s orbital and the three unpaired electrons in the 2p_{x}, 2p_{y} and 2p_{z} orbitals.