Answer :
To determine how many electrons nitrogen needs to gain to acquire a negative charge, we need to understand the electron configuration of nitrogen and the concept of gaining a negative charge.
Nitrogen is an element with an atomic number of 7, meaning it has 7 protons and, in a neutral state, 7 electrons. Its electron configuration is:
- 1s² 2s² 2p³
This configuration shows that nitrogen has 5 electrons in its outer shell (the 2s² means 2 electrons are in the 2s subshell and 2p³ means 3 electrons are in the 2p subshell). To achieve a full outer shell, nitrogen needs a total of 8 electrons, which is characteristic of reaching a stable noble gas configuration.
To achieve this stable configuration, nitrogen needs to gain:
- 3 more electrons.
By gaining 3 electrons, nitrogen achieves the electron configuration of neon, a noble gas. This additional gain of electrons gives nitrogen a negative charge, specifically a charge of -3, since it has more electrons than protons.
In summary, nitrogen needs to gain 3 electrons to obtain a negative charge and reach a more stable electronic configuration.
