Question

How many covalent bonds does nitrogen form in electrically neutral compounds?

Answer 1

Nitrogen typically forms 3 covalent bonds, including in `N_2`. This is because it has atomic number 7, so its electron configuration is `1s^2 2s^2 2p^3`, giving it 5 valence shell electrons. To form a full outer shell of 8, it needs to share 3 electrons, forming 3 covalent bonds.