Question

(a) Which metal exists in liquid state at room temperature?
(b) Write electronic configuration of nitrogen and chlorine atoms.
(C) Show the formation of sodium chloride by the transfer of electrons between nitrogen and chlorine atoms.

Answer 1

In order to answer the question, first we will mention the name of the metal that exists in liquid state at room temperature, and then we will write the electronic configuration of nitrogen and chlorine.

Complete answer:
(a) The only two elements that are liquids at room temperature and pressure are mercury and bromine. Mercury is a metal and bromine is a non-metal.
Mercury (metal) and bromine (non-metal) exist in liquid state at room temperature. Caesium and gallium are metals with melting point less than $310{\text{ }}K$ .
Mercury is an extremely unusual element, in many ways, both physical and chemical. It is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature. It has the lowest melting point and boiling point of any other metal.
(b) Nitrogen is the seventh element with a total of 7 electrons. In writing the electron configuration for nitrogen the first two electrons will go in the $1s - orbital$ . Since $1s$ can only hold two electrons the next 2 electrons for $N$ goes in the $2s - orbital$ . The remaining three electrons will go in the $2p - orbital$ . Therefore the $N$ electron configuration will be $1{s^2}2{s^2}2{p^3}$ .
The electron configuration of chlorine is as $1s{\text{ }}2{\text{ }}2{s^2}2{p^6}3{s^2}3{p^5}{\text{ }}or{\text{ }}\left[ {Ne} \right]3{s^2}3{p^5}$ .
(c) When sodium and chlorine atoms come together to form sodium chloride $(NaCl)$, they transfer an electron. The sodium $(Na)$ atom transfers one electron to the chlorine $(Cl)$ atom, in order to attain complete octet. With the transfer of the electron, however, they become electrically charged, and combine into salts through the formation of ionic bonds. The sodium ion now has only ten electrons, but still has eleven protons.

Note:
Mercury use was thought to prolong life, heal fractures, and maintain generally good health, although it is now known that exposure to mercury vapour leads to serious adverse health effects. Most mercury usually forms simple stable compounds with metal-metal bonds.