Question

Explain the covalent bonds examples of oxygen and nitrogen and write the number of bonds present in them.

Answer 1

Nitrogen atoms will form three covalent bonds (also called triple covalent) between two atoms of nitrogen because each nitrogen atom needs three electrons to fill its outermost shell.

Complete step by step answer:
Covalent bonds are in liquid or gaseous state at room temperature. Some examples are Methane, Hydrochloric acid etc. The number of bonds that each element can form depends on the number of valence (outermost) electrons it contains. Hydrogen has 1 electron in its valence shell. Carbon has 4 electrons in its valence shell. Nitrogen has 5 electrons in its valence shell. Oxygen has 6 electrons in its valence shell.
Electron configuration of oxygen is 2,6. An oxygen atom requires two electrons to achieve octet configuration. Thus, in an oxygen molecule, two oxygen atoms share two electrons from each of the atoms to attain an octet configuration. Hence two electron pairs are shared between two oxygen atoms forming two covalent bonds. Hence oxygen is also called a divalent compound.
Electronic configuration of nitrogen is 2,5. A nitrogen atom requires three electrons to achieve octet configuration. Thus, in a nitrogen molecule, two nitrogen atoms share three electrons from each of the atoms to attain octet configuration. Hence, three electron pairs are shared between two nitrogen atoms forming three covalent bonds. Hence, nitrogen is also called a trivalent compound.

Note: Carbon, in most cases forms four covalent bonds, in as much it promotes an external s-electron to a p-orbital, thus obtaining four unpaired electrons, and contextually choosing for those electrons the kind of hybridization that is the most suitable for the number and kind of bonds it is going to make