The oxidation state of nitrogen varies from:

Options

A. `-3` to `+5`
B. 0 + `+5`
C. `-3` to 1
D. `+3` to `+5`

Answer

To determine the oxidation state of nitrogen, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Atomic Number and Electronic Configuration
- The atomic number of nitrogen (N) is 7.
- Its electronic configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p³.

### Step 2: Determine the Valence Electrons
- From the electronic configuration, we can see that nitrogen has 5 valence electrons (2 in the 2s subshell and 3 in the 2p subshell).

### Step 3: Analyze Possible Oxidation States
- Nitrogen can either gain or lose electrons to achieve a stable electronic configuration.
- It can gain 3 electrons to fill its outer shell (achieving a stable octet), resulting in an oxidation state of -3.
- Alternatively, nitrogen can lose all 5 of its valence electrons, leading to an oxidation state of +5.

### Step 4: Identify the Range of Oxidation States
- Therefore, the oxidation state of nitrogen can vary from -3 (when it gains electrons) to +5 (when it loses electrons).
- Additionally, nitrogen can exhibit a -5 oxidation state in compounds like ammonia (NH₃) or amines, and a +5 oxidation state in nitric acid (HNO₃).

### Conclusion
- The oxidation state of nitrogen varies from -3 to +5.

### Final Answer
The oxidation state of nitrogen varies from -3 to +5.

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