Chemical Bonding And Molecular Structure Question 17
Question: The covalency of nitrogen in $ HNO_3 $ is [CPMT 1987]
Options:
A) 0
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
Show Answer
Answer:
Correct Answer: C
Solution:
Let’s approach this step-by-step:
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First, let’s recall what covalency means: Covalency is the number of electron pairs that an atom shares with other atoms in a molecule.
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Now, let’s look at the structure of HNO₃ (Nitric Acid):
H-O
N=O // O -
Let’s count the bonds that nitrogen forms:
- Single bond with one oxygen (H-O-N)
- Double bond with one oxygen (N=O)
- Single bond with another oxygen, which then forms a double bond with that oxygen (N-O=O)
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Counting these bonds:
- 1 for the single bond with O
- 2 for the double bond with O
- 1 for the single bond in N-O=O
Total: 1 + 2 + 1 = 4
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Each of these bonds represents a shared electron pair.
Therefore, the covalency of nitrogen in HNO₃ is 4.
The correct answer is C) 4.
BETA
