How many and what types of bonds are present in `NH_(4)^(+)`?

Options

A. Four covalent bonds
B. Three covalent bonds and one ionic bond
C. Four ionic bonds
D. Three covalent bonds and one coordinate bond

Explanation

To determine the number and types of bonds in the ammonium ion, \( NH_4^+ \), we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the structure of \( NH_4^+ \)
The ammonium ion consists of one nitrogen atom (N) and four hydrogen atoms (H). The nitrogen atom is the central atom, and it is bonded to four hydrogen atoms.

### Step 2: Identify the types of bonds
In \( NH_4^+ \):
- Three of the hydrogen atoms are bonded to nitrogen through **covalent bonds**. A covalent bond is formed when two atoms share a pair of electrons.
- The fourth bond is a **coordinate bond** (also known as a dative bond). This occurs when one atom donates both electrons to form a bond with another atom. In this case, nitrogen donates a lone pair of electrons to the hydrogen ion (\( H^+ \)), which has a vacant orbital.

### Step 3: Count the total number of bonds
- Total bonds = 3 (covalent bonds) + 1 (coordinate bond) = 4 bonds.

### Step 4: Conclusion
Thus, in \( NH_4^+ \), there are a total of 4 bonds: 3 covalent bonds and 1 coordinate bond.

### Final Answer:
In \( NH_4^+ \), there are 4 bonds in total: 3 covalent bonds and 1 coordinate bond.

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