Number of unpaired electrons in `N^(2+)` is/are
(a) 2
(b) 0
(c) 1
(d) 3

Options

A. 2
B. 0
C. 1
D. 3

Explanation

To determine the number of unpaired electrons in the \( N^{2+} \) ion, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Determine the Atomic Number of Nitrogen
Nitrogen (N) has an atomic number of 7, which means it has 7 electrons in its neutral state.

### Step 2: Write the Electron Configuration of Neutral Nitrogen
The electron configuration for neutral nitrogen (N) is:
\[ 1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^3 \]
This means there are 2 electrons in the 1s orbital, 2 electrons in the 2s orbital, and 3 electrons in the 2p orbital.

### Step 3: Determine the Electron Configuration of \( N^{2+} \)
The \( N^{2+} \) ion indicates that nitrogen has lost 2 electrons. The electrons are removed from the outermost shell first, which in this case are the 2p electrons.

So, we remove 2 electrons from the 2p orbital:
- From \( 2p^3 \), if we remove 2 electrons, we are left with:
\[ 1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^1 \]

### Step 4: Identify the Unpaired Electrons
In the \( 2p^1 \) configuration, there is 1 electron in the 2p orbital. Since there are no other electrons to pair with it, this electron is unpaired.

### Conclusion
Thus, the number of unpaired electrons in \( N^{2+} \) is 1.

The correct answer is:
**(c) 1**

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