Multiple Choice
Which of the following compounds consists of ions?
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2. Atoms & Elements
Ions
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Which of the following is the most stable monatomic ion formed from nitrogen?
A
N^{3-}
B
N^{2+}
C
N^{-}
D
N^{+}
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that the stability of monatomic ions is often related to achieving a noble gas electron configuration, which corresponds to a full valence shell.
Recall that nitrogen has an atomic number of 7, so its neutral atom electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p³, with 5 valence electrons in the second shell.
Consider the possible ions: N^{3-} means nitrogen gains 3 electrons, resulting in 8 valence electrons, which matches the electron configuration of neon, a noble gas.
For the positive ions (N^{+} and N^{2+}), nitrogen loses electrons, moving further away from a full octet, which generally decreases stability.
N^{-} means nitrogen gains only one electron, resulting in 6 valence electrons, which is less stable than the full octet achieved by N^{3-}.
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