Author Question: How many valence electrons are in ammonium ion, NH(subscript-4)+? (Read 828 times)

stevenposner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 608
- 5 valence electrons
- 8 valence electrons
- 9 valence electrons



RYAN BANYAN

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 563
Nitrogen has 5
Each hydrogen has 1
and you are missing 1 from the + charge (means an e- left)

So you have 5+4-1 = 8



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question

mia

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 564
If this question is asking what I think it is asking, we can look at the periodic table to answer it.

The N atom has five valence electrons (it is in group VA), and each H atom has one (Group IA).  That brings us to nine.

BUT...the ion has a +1 charge, meaning it wants an electron because one has been taken away.  So we end up with eight electrons.  Hope this helps!



scienceeasy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 565
It is really simple. you know what charge it carries. Don't you? It carries a charge of 1+, so that means it needs to lose one electron to stabilize itself. We can neither say that it has five valence electrons nor 8. Because even if it has a valence electron of five and if loses one electron, so it would certainly become 4 valence electrons, which is still unstable. Eight valence electron is an already stabled number for any atom and so even if it has such numbers of valence electrons, then it would be unreactive. And now you know why they would be unreactive. Because they are already stabled. Nine is acceptable! Because if it loses one electron, then the valence electrons of ammonium becomes 8 which is actually stabilized! That is perfect!



 

Did you know?

Complications of influenza include: bacterial pneumonia, ear and sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic conditions such as asthma, congestive heart failure, or diabetes.

Did you know?

Women are 50% to 75% more likely than men to experience an adverse drug reaction.

Did you know?

You should not take more than 1,000 mg of vitamin E per day. Doses above this amount increase the risk of bleeding problems that can lead to a stroke.

Did you know?

In 2012, nearly 24 milliion Americans, aged 12 and older, had abused an illicit drug, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Did you know?

In the United States, congenital cytomegalovirus causes one child to become disabled almost every hour. CMV is the leading preventable viral cause of development disability in newborns. These disabilities include hearing or vision loss, and cerebral palsy.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library