How many valence electrons in each of the following?
a) N
Answer
5 valence electrons
Explanation
If we complete the table below for a nitrogen atom it is
Element
|
Nuclear
Charge
|
Electron
Configuration
|
Inner Core
Electrons
|
Valence
Electrons
|
N
|
7
|
1s22s22p3
|
2
|
5
|
Valence electrons are those electrons in the outer most shell. In the case
of nitrogen the outer most shell is the n = 2 shell. There are 5 electrons
in the second shell; 2 in the s subshell and 3 in the p subshell.