Final answer:
The outer shell, or second energy level of nitrogen, currently holds 5 electrons (2 in the 2s orbital and 3 in the 2p orbitals). It can hold a total of 8 electrons, therefore it has space for 3 more, making the answer 5 (2+3) for the electron space available in the outer shell.
Step-by-step explanation:
The electron space available in the outer shell of nitrogen is determined by considering its electronic configuration. Nitrogen has an atomic number of 7, meaning it has 7 electrons. These electrons are distributed as follows: 2 in the 1s subshell, 2 in the 2s subshell, and 3 in the 2p subshell. The outer shell corresponds to the second shell (n=2), which includes the 2s and 2p subshells. Since the 2p subshell of nitrogen has 3 electrons and can hold up to 6, the space available for additional electrons would be 3 (6 - 3).
The subshell's maximum capacity is derived from the general principle where each orbital can hold 2 electrons and the number of orbitals in a p subshell is 3. Therefore, the space available in the outer shell of nitrogen, specifically in the 2p subshell, would be 3 more electrons. Thus, for the question regarding the electron space available in the outer shell of nitrogen, the correct answer is b) 5.