Question

1. which of the following is the correct orbital box diagram for nitrogen? each arrow represents one

Explanation:

Nitrogen has an atomic number of 7, so it has 7 electrons. The electron configuration is \(1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{3}\). According to Hund's rule, electrons in the same sub - shell (here, the \(2p\) sub - shell) will occupy different orbitals with parallel spins before pairing up. The \(1s\) and \(2s\) orbitals are fully filled (each can hold 2 electrons with opposite spins). The \(2p\) sub - shell has 3 electrons, each in separate \(2p\) orbitals with parallel spins.

Answer:

The first option (with \(1s\) and \(2s\) filled and three unpaired electrons in \(2p\) orbitals) is the correct orbital box diagram for nitrogen.