How many valence electrons does HCN have? 10 8 5 12

## Step 1The number of valence electrons in a molecule is the sum of the valence electrons of each atom in the molecule. ## Step 2Hydrogen (H) has 1 valence electron, Carbon (C) has 4, and Nitrogen (N) has 5. ## Step 3Adding these together, we get . ## Step 4However, in the molecule HCN, the Nitrogen atom forms a triple bond with the Carbon atom, which means it shares 6 electrons with the Carbon atom. ## Step 5This leaves 4 electrons on the Nitrogen atom, which are not involved in bonding. ## Step 6Therefore, the total number of valence electrons in the HCN molecule is . ## Step 7Adding the 1 electron from the Hydrogen atom, we get .