Sketch, on paper, the Lewis structure of N2, remembering to:Step 1: Arrange the atomsStep 2: Count the number of valence electrons.Step 3: Allocate two electrons between each pair of atoms which are assumed to be covalently bound.Step 4: Use the remaining valence electrons to form lone pairs, and/or double and triple bonds.What is the total number of valence electrons in N2?What type of bond exists between the two nitrogen atoms?How many lone pairs are there on each nitrogen atom?

Step 1: Arrange the atoms Since there are only two nitrogen atoms in N2, they will be arranged side by side.

Step 2: Count the number of valence electrons Nitrogen is in group 15 (or 5A in older notation) of the periodic table, so it has 5 valence electrons. Since there are two nitrogen atoms, the total number of valence electrons in N2 is 5*2 = 10.

Step 3: Allocate two electrons between each pair of atoms which are assumed to be covalently bound We will place two electrons (one from each nitrogen atom) between the two nitrogen atoms to form a single covalent bond.

Step 4: Use the remaining valence electrons to form lone pairs, and/or double and triple bonds After forming a single bond, we have 8 electrons left. We will use these to form a triple bond between the nitrogen atoms (using 6 electrons) and place the remaining 2 electrons as a lone pair on each nitrogen atom.

So, the Lewis structure of N2 will have a triple bond between the two nitrogen atoms and each nitrogen atom will have one lone pair.

To answer your questions:

• The total number of valence electrons in N2 is 10.
• A triple bond exists between the two nitrogen atoms.
• There is one lone pair on each nitrogen atom.

Step 1: Arrange the atoms Since there are only two nitrogen atoms in N2, they will be arranged side by side.

Step 2: Count the number of valence electrons. Nitrogen is in group 15 (or 5A depending on the notation used) of the periodic table, so it has 5 valence electrons. Since there are two nitrogen atoms, the total number of valence electrons in N2 is 5*2 = 10 electrons.

Step 3: Allocate two electrons between each pair of atoms which are assumed to be covalently bound. We will place two electrons (one from each nitrogen atom) between the two nitrogen atoms to form a single covalent bond.

Step 4: Use the remaining valence electrons to form lone pairs, and/or double and triple bonds. After forming the single bond, we have 8 electrons left. We can use these to form a triple bond between the nitrogen atoms (using 6 electrons) and place the remaining 2 electrons as a lone pair on each nitrogen atom.

So, the total number of valence electrons in N2 is 10. The bond between the two nitrogen atoms is a triple bond. There is one lone pair on each nitrogen atom.