The outer electron shell of a nitrogen atom can hold up to eight electrons, but contains only five. As a result, nitrogen can form ______ covalent bonds.
A) 0
B) 1
C) 3
D) 8

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Nitrogen can form three covalent bonds, each sharing one electron from nitrogen with another atom. This allows nitrogen to achieve a full outer electron shell with a total of eight electrons (two from each shared bond plus the three lone electrons already present in the outer shell).

The Outer Electron Shell of a Nitrogen Atom Can Hold