Final answer:
Nitrogen can form a total of three bonds by sharing electrons with other atoms. It can also have a lone pair of electrons.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nitrogen atom is connected to one carbon by a single bond and to the other carbon by a double bond, producing a total of three bonds, C-N=C. For nitrogen to have an octet of electrons, it must also have a lone pair:
A neutral nitrogen atom has five valence electrons (it is in group 15). From its Lewis electron structure, the nitrogen atom in ammonia has one lone pair and shares three bonding pairs with hydrogen atoms, so nitrogen itself is assigned a total of five electrons [2 nonbonding e¯ + (6 bonding e¯/2)]. Substituting into Equation 6.3.1, we obtain:
Triple bond
Because each nitrogen contains 5 valence electrons, they need to share 3 pairs to each achieve a valence octet. N₂ is fairly inert, due to the strong triple bond between the two nitrogen atoms.