Example: H and N
Home Up Example: H and C Example: H and N Example: H and O Example: H and Cl Practice with Formulas Practice with Names Example: O and C Example: O and N Example: O and Cl Practice with Formulas and Names

 

Example - Hydrogen and Nitrogen

Hydrogen still has one electron and needs one more electron. Nitrogen has five valence electrons and needs three more electrons. Notice how three hydrogen atoms can move in and bond to the nitrogen to share electrons, form three covalent bonds and provide the electrons that nitrogen needs. Since the nitrogen needs three electrons and each hydrogen has one, you end up with NH3 as the formula for the compound. Note that not all of nitrogen's electrons got bonded.

The nitrogen started with five electrons around it; two of them were paired up and three were not. Those three were shared with hydrogen; and each hydrogen, in turn, shared its one electron with the nitrogen. So the nitrogen ends up with eight electrons around it and each hydrogen ends up with two.

H · has 1
needs 1
  H N
need ratio 1 3
atom ratio 3 1
formula NH3
··
·  N  ·
·		 has 5
needs 3


··
H : N : H
··
H

 

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E-mail instructor: Eden Francis

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