Solved: The azide ion, N3 -, is linear with two N—N bonds

Chapter , Problem 100AE

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Problem 100AE

The azide ion, N3 -, is linear with two N—N bonds of equal length, 1.16 Å. (a) Draw a Lewis structure for the azide ion., (b) With reference to Table is the observed N—N bond length consistent with your Lewis structure? (c) What hybridization scheme would you expect at each of the nitrogen atoms in N3 -?

Table Average Bond Lengths for Some Single, Double, and Triple Bonds

Bond	Bond Length (Å)	Bond	Bond Length (Å)
C—C	1.54	N—N	1.47
C═C	1.34	N═N	1.24
C≡C	1.20	N≡N	1.10
C—N	1.43	N—O	1.36
C═N	1.38	N═O	1.22
C≡N	1.16
		O—O	1.48
C—O	1.43	O═O	1.21
C═O	1.23
C≡O	1.13

, (d) Show which hybridized and unhybridized orbitals are involved in the formation of s and p bonds in N3 -., (e) It is often observed that s bonds that involve an sp hybrid orbital are shorter than those that involve only sp2 or sp3 hybrid orbitals. Can you propose a reason for this? Is this observation applicable to the observed bond lengths in N3 -?