Question

Explain why, Nitrogen does not form pentahalides.

Answer 1

Nitrogen contains five valence electrons in its valence shell and group which is having Nitrogen called as pnictogens and it belongs to p-block elements. Nitrogen has only s and p orbitals.

Complete step by step answer:
Nitrogen is a non-metal and atomic number of Nitrogen is 7. Nitrogen belongs to the ${2^{nd}}$ period and group 11. It has only s and p orbitals that’s why nitrogen can hold maximum 8 electrons in their valence shell.
Electronic configuration of Nitrogen is $1{s^2}2{s^2}2{p^3}$ and there are only three unpaired electrons in each p-orbital. And the number of valence electrons are five.
When an element forms halide, it forms a covalent bond with halides. In covalent bonds, electrons are shared with both atoms. In pentahalides five covalent bonds are formed which is not possible because it has only three unpaired electrons and has no vacant d orbital and forms only trihalides.
In other elements of the nitrogen group, there is a vacant d orbital due to which they can form pentahalides but nitrogen doesn’t form pentahalides.

Note: Also, if nitrogen forms pentahalides it forms five covalent bonds and there are 10 electrons in valence shell of nitrogen which is not possible because nitrogen can hold a maximum 8 electrons in valence shell. This is also a region due to which nitrogen does not pentahalides.