Count the electrons. HCN I see 10.

NCCN I see 18.
What noble gas has an atomic number of 10? of 18?

State the noble gas whose electron configuration is attained in the following Lewis structures.

a) H:C:::N: (cyanide)
b) :N:::C:C:::N: (cyanogen)

To count the number of electrons in a molecule, you need to analyze its Lewis structure.

a) H:C:::N: (cyanide)
In the Lewis structure of HCN, there is a triple bond between Carbon (C) and Nitrogen (N). Hydrogen (H) is bonded to Carbon. The Lewis structure can be written as H-C≡N.

To count the electrons, follow these steps:
1. Hydrogen (H) has 1 electron.
2. Carbon (C) has 4 valence electrons (since it is in Group 4 of the periodic table).
3. Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons (since it is in Group 5 of the periodic table).
4. Multiply the number of electrons by the number of atoms:
- Hydrogen (H): 1 electron x 1 atom = 1 electron
- Carbon (C): 4 electrons x 1 atom = 4 electrons
- Nitrogen (N): 5 electrons x 1 atom = 5 electrons

Total number of electrons in HCN = 1 + 4 + 5 = 10 electrons

Therefore, in the cyanide molecule (HCN), there are 10 electrons.

b) :N:::C:C:::N: (cyanogen)
In the Lewis structure of NCCN (cyanogen), there is a triple bond between the two Carbon (C) atoms, and each Carbon (C) atom is also bonded to a Nitrogen (N) atom. The Lewis structure can be written as C≡C-N=N.

To count the electrons, follow these steps:
1. Carbon (C) has 4 valence electrons (since it is in Group 4 of the periodic table).
2. Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons (since it is in Group 5 of the periodic table).
3. Multiply the number of electrons by the number of atoms:
- Carbon (C): 4 electrons x 2 atoms = 8 electrons
- Nitrogen (N): 5 electrons x 2 atoms = 10 electrons

Total number of electrons in NCCN = 8 + 10 = 18 electrons

Therefore, in the cyanogen molecule (NCCN), there are 18 electrons.

Now, let's identify the noble gases with atomic numbers 10 and 18:

- The noble gas with an atomic number of 10 is Neon (Ne).
- The noble gas with an atomic number of 18 is Argon (Ar).

To determine the noble gas whose electron configuration is attained in the given Lewis structures:

a) In the Lewis structure of H:C:::N: (cyanide), there are 10 electrons. The neon atom (Ne) has an atomic number of 10, so the electron configuration of neon is attained in this Lewis structure.

b) In the Lewis structure of :N:::C:C:::N: (cyanogen), there are 18 electrons. The argon atom (Ar) has an atomic number of 18, so the electron configuration of argon is attained in this Lewis structure.

Therefore, the noble gas with an atomic number of 10 is Neon (Ne), and the noble gas with an atomic number of 18 is Argon (Ar).