The statement is false. The Lewis dot structure for nitrogen (N) actually shows the symbol N surrounded by a total of five dots, not three.
Here’s why:
- Nitrogen is in Group 15 (or Group 5) of the periodic table, which means it has five valence electrons.
- In a Lewis dot structure, each dot represents a valence electron. Therefore, nitrogen should have five dots around its symbol.
- The correct Lewis dot structure for nitrogen would show the symbol N with one dot on each side (top, bottom, left, right) and one additional dot on one of the sides, totaling five dots.
Understanding the Lewis dot structure is crucial for predicting how atoms will bond with each other, as it visually represents the valence electrons available for bonding.