Nitrogen is in Group 15 and has five valence electrons. Which charge will it carry when it becomes an ion?
1. 5+
2. 3+
3. 5-
4. 3-
4. 3-
When nitrogen becomes an ion, it will gain/lose electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. Nitrogen has five valence electrons, and it tends to gain three electrons to complete its outermost energy level. Therefore, it will carry a charge of 3-. So, the correct answer is 4. 3-.
To determine the charge that nitrogen will carry when it becomes an ion, we need to understand how ions are formed.
Ions are formed when atoms gain or lose electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. In the case of nitrogen, it is in Group 15 of the periodic table, which means it has five valence electrons in its outermost energy level.
Nitrogen can either gain three electrons or lose five electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. However, losing five electrons would require a significant amount of energy as it would involve removing all of its valence electrons.
Therefore, it is more likely for nitrogen to gain three electrons and form an ion with a charge of 3-. When nitrogen gains three electrons, it achieves the electron configuration of a noble gas (like neon) and becomes more stable with a full outer energy level.