Nitrogen forms 3 covalent bonds.
Nitrogen (N) is in Group 15 (also known as Group 5A) of the periodic table. This means it has 5 valence electrons in its outermost shell. To achieve a stable octet (8 electrons) according to the octet rule, nitrogen needs to gain 3 more electrons. It does this by sharing electrons through covalent bonding.
In the case of diatomic nitrogen (N2), two nitrogen atoms share three pairs of electrons to form a triple bond. This triple bond consists of three covalent bonds. This strong triple bond is what makes nitrogen gas relatively inert.
Therefore, each nitrogen atom participates in forming three covalent bonds to achieve stability.
