Nitrogen valence electrons

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Nitrogen valence electrons
Nitrogen valence electrons | Image: Learnool

Nitrogen is classified as a nonmetal, more specifically as a reactive nonmetal, and possesses 5 valence electrons. To determine nitrogen’s valence electrons, one can refer to its position on the periodic table or use its electron configuration.

Methods

Using periodic table

Periodic table | Image: Learnool

Get the periodic table having the chemical elements marked on it as mentioned above.

Now mark the location of nitrogen on the periodic table.

Nitrogen location marked on periodic table | Image: Learnool

Next, mark the group number of nitrogen on the periodic table.

Nitrogen group number marked on periodic table | Image: Learnool

The valence electrons of each main-group element can be determined by the column in which it is located.

(i.e., all group 1 elements have 1 valence electron, all group 2 elements have 2 valence electrons, skip the transition metals… then, all group 13 elements have 3 valence electrons, all group 14 elements have 4 valence electrons, and so on up to group 18 elements)

Since nitrogen is in group 15, it has 5 valence electrons.

Using electron configuration

  • First, write electron configuration of nitrogen

The electron configuration of nitrogen is [He] 2s2 2p3.

  • Second, find highest energy level in electron configuration
Green colored number represent highest energy level | Image: Learnool

In the above electron configuration, the highest energy level (2) is marked with green color.

  • Finally, count electrons of that energy level
Number circled with green color represent electrons | Image: Learnool

The 2nd energy level contains 2s and 2p subshells. There are 2 electrons in the 2s subshell and 3 electrons in the 2p subshell. So nitrogen has a total of 2 + 3 = 5 valence electrons.

Next: Oxygen valence electrons

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Learnool.com was founded by Deep Rana, who is a mechanical engineer by profession and a blogger by passion. He has a good conceptual knowledge on different educational topics and he provides the same on this website. He loves to learn something new everyday and believes that the best utilization of free time is developing a new skill.

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