Nitrogen (N) has 5 valence electrons on its outer shell. The atomic number of nitrogen is 7, and its electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p³. In the outermost p sublevel, there are three electrons, which means nitrogen has 5 valence electrons available for chemical bonding.
Oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons on its outer shell. The atomic number of oxygen is 8, and its electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁴. In the outermost p sublevel, there are four electrons, which means oxygen has 6 valence electrons available for chemical bonding.