Question

Nitrogen exhibits all oxidation states from ______ to ______.

Answer 1

Nitrogen exhibits all oxidation states from −3 to +5.

Explanation:

Nitrogen can gain three electrons to form a −3 state, as in ammonia (NH₃), or lose electrons and form covalent bonds to reach up to a +5 oxidation state, as seen in nitric acid (HNO₃). This wide range is due to its ability to share or gain electrons, but it cannot expand its valence shell since it lacks vacant d-orbitals, limiting the number of bonds it can form to a maximum of four covalent bonds (e.g., \[\ce{NH^+_4}\]).