The maximum covalence is equal to the number of

Options

A. Paired electron
B. unpaired electron
C. unpaired and p electrons
D. s and p electrons in the valence shell

Answer

To determine the maximum covalence of an atom, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand Covalency
Covalency is defined as the total number of covalent bonds that an atom can form. It reflects the ability of an atom to share its electrons with other atoms.

**Hint:** Covalency is all about how many bonds an atom can form with others.

### Step 2: Identify the Atom
Consider the atom in question. For example, let's take nitrogen as a case study.

**Hint:** Choose an atom whose covalency you want to determine.

### Step 3: Determine the Electronic Configuration
For nitrogen, the electronic configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p³. This shows how the electrons are arranged in the atom.

**Hint:** Look at the electronic configuration to understand how many electrons are available for bonding.

### Step 4: Count the Valence Electrons
From the electronic configuration, nitrogen has 5 valence electrons (2 in the 2s orbital and 3 in the 2p orbital).

**Hint:** Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell that can participate in bonding.

### Step 5: Determine Maximum Covalence
The maximum covalence can be determined by the number of unpaired electrons in the valence shell. In the case of nitrogen, it can use its 3 unpaired electrons to form bonds with other atoms, and it can also use the paired electrons in the 2s orbital to form a total of 4 bonds.

**Hint:** Both unpaired and paired electrons can participate in bond formation.

### Step 6: Conclusion
Thus, the maximum covalence of nitrogen is 4, as it can form 4 covalent bonds.

**Hint:** The final answer reflects the total number of bonds that can be formed by the atom in question.

### Final Answer
The maximum covalence is equal to 4 for nitrogen.