The azide ion, N₃^-, is very reactive although it is isoelectronic with the very stable CO₂ molecule. This reactivity is reasonable considering that A) a Lewis structure cannot be written for the azide ion that has nitrogen formal charges of zero. B) there is no valid Lewis structure possible for the azide ion. C) there are resonance structures for azide ion but not for carbon dioxide. D) nitrogen cannot form multiple bonds. E) charged species always decompose in solution.

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The azide ion (N3-) is reactive despite being isoelectronic with CO2 because it has resonance structures that involve formal charges on nitrogen atoms, unlike CO2 which has a stable double bond structure with no formal charges. This makes it impossible to write a Lewis structure for the azide ion where all nitrogen atoms have a formal charge of zero, contributing to its reactivity.

The Azide Ion, N3-, Is Very Reactive Although It Is

The Azide Ion, N₃^-, Is Very Reactive Although It Is