Question

Based on the location of nitrogen (N) on the periodic table, how many additional electrons does a nitrogen atom need in its valence shell to satisfy the octet rule when it forms bonds?

one
three
five
eight

Answer 1

Three.

Nitrogen has five valence electrons (group 15), so it needs 3 more electrons to reach an octet (8 valence electrons), which is why it commonly forms three bonds (e.g., NH3).