JEE Main 2024 — 8 April, Shift 2 — Question 66

(A) Correct: Dinitrogen ($\mathrm{N_2}$) is a diatomic gas with a very strong $\mathrm{N \equiv N}$ triple bond, which makes it relatively inert at room temperature.

(B) Correct: Group 15 elements commonly exhibit oxidation states of $-3$, $+3$, and $+5$.

(C) Correct: Nitrogen has a unique ability to form $p\pi\text{-}p\pi$ multiple bonds due to its small size and effective orbital overlap.

(D) Incorrect: The stability of the $+5$ oxidation state decreases down the group because of the increasing inert pair effect.

(E) Incorrect: Nitrogen does not show a maximum covalency of 6; due to the absence of $d$-orbitals, its maximum covalency is 4. Therefore, incorrect statements are (D) and (E).