In 1999, chemists working for the Air Force Research
Laboratory reported that they had produced a compound
containing an unusual ion with the formula N5
+. This ion
had not been expected to exist, and its instability makes it
both diffi cult and dangerous to prepare.
Consider the possible Lewis structure below. Indicate the
hybridization expected for each nitrogen atom and the
expected bond angles.
N N N N N
Assuming that the structure shown above is correct, how
many of the five nitrogen atoms would always lie in the
same plane?
To determine how many of the five nitrogen atoms would always lie in the same plane in the given Lewis structure, we need to analyze the hybridization and bond angles of the nitrogen atoms.
Hybridization refers to the mixing of atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals with different shapes and energies. In order to determine the hybridization of a nitrogen atom, we need to consider its bonding and lone pair electrons.
In the given Lewis structure, each nitrogen atom is connected to three other nitrogen atoms, suggesting that the nitrogen atoms are bonded in a trigonal planar geometry. In a trigonal planar arrangement, the hybridization of the central atom is sp^2 and the bond angles between the atoms are 120 degrees.
Since all five nitrogen atoms in the structure shown are connected to three other nitrogen atoms, they would all be expected to have a trigonal planar arrangement. Therefore, all five nitrogen atoms would always lie in the same plane in this structure.
In summary, all five nitrogen atoms in the given Lewis structure are expected to have a trigonal planar arrangement, resulting in all of them lying in the same plane.