Final answer:
The valence electron with the highest energy in N₂ is located in the σ*2p molecular orbital, which is the anti-bonding orbital with the highest energy in this molecule.
Step-by-step explanation:
In molecular orbital theory, the different types of molecular orbitals, like σ and π orbitals, can have different energies based on the arrangement of electrons around the molecule.
For the molecule nitrogen (N₂), the valence electron with the highest energy is located in the σ*2p molecular orbital.
Drawing on the principles outlined for period 2 diatomic molecules, specifically to the left of nitrogen in the periodic table, we see that the bonds' energy levels can fluctuate, with the σ 2p orbital often having a slightly higher energy than the π 2p orbitals for molecules like N₂.
This is due to the increase in nuclear charge across the period and poor screening by 2p electrons, which affects the energy gap between the 2s and 2p atomic orbitals. Thus, the σ*2p represents the anti-bonding orbital with the highest energy and would be the orbital from which an electron would be removed during the first ionization of N₂.