Nitrogen (N)
Nitrogen is element 7, a nonmetal in group 15, period 2. A neutral atom has 7 protons, 7 neutrons and 7 electrons, 5 of them valence electrons.
Nonmetal- Atomic number
- 7
- Atomic mass
- 14.007 u
- Valence electrons
- 5
- Protons · neutrons
- 7 · 7
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 5
- At room temperature
- gas
Bohr model of nitrogen
The Bohr model draws nitrogen as a nucleus of 7 protons and 7 neutrons, with its 7 electrons on 2 circular shells: 2 in shell 1, 5 in shell 2. Press Build the atom to watch the shells fill from the inside out. The outer ring (the L shell) is dashed: the electrons there are the ones that take part in chemistry.
Real electrons don't travel in neat circles. They live in fuzzy orbitals, shown below, but the Bohr picture is the quickest way to count shells and valence electrons.
Electron configuration of nitrogen
1s² 2s² 2p³
Short form (noble gas notation): [He] 2s² 2p³. The [He] stands for the electrons of helium, the noble gas before it.
How many valence electrons does nitrogen have?
Nitrogen has 5 valence electrons.
Nitrogen is in group 15, and for groups 13–18 you subtract 10 from the group number: 15 − 10 = 5. It tends to gain 3 electrons to complete an octet, forming a −3 ion.
Protons, neutrons and electrons
| Protons | 7 | equal to the atomic number |
|---|---|---|
| Electrons | 7 | equal to the protons in a neutral atom |
| Neutrons | 7 | mass number 14 − 7 protons |
Atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). The count above uses the rounded atomic mass, the way it's taught in class.
Nitrogen properties
| Symbol | N |
|---|---|
| Category | Nonmetal |
| Group · period · block | 15 · 2 · p |
| Atomic mass | 14.007 u |
| State at 25 °C | gas |
| Melting point | 63.15 K (-210 °C, -346 °F) |
| Boiling point | 77.36 K (-196 °C, -320 °F) |
| Density | 0.0013 g/cm³ |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 3.04 |
| Atomic radius | 155 pm |
| First ionization energy | 14.534 eV |
| Electron affinity | — |
| Oxidation states | +5, +4, +3, +2, +1, −1, −2, −3 |
| Common ion charge | −3 |
| Discovered | 1772 by Daniel Rutherford |
Where nitrogen sits on the periodic table
Group 15: Phosphorus, Arsenic, Antimony, Bismuth, Moscovium.
Questions about nitrogen
How many valence electrons does nitrogen have?
Nitrogen has 5 valence electrons.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does nitrogen have?
A neutral nitrogen atom has 7 protons and 7 electrons. Its most common form has about 7 neutrons (mass number 14 − 7 protons).
What is the electron configuration of nitrogen?
1s² 2s² 2p³, written in short form as [He] 2s² 2p³.
What does the Bohr model of nitrogen look like?
A nucleus of 7 protons and 7 neutrons, circled by 2 electron shells holding 2, 5 electrons.
What is the atomic number of nitrogen?
7. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and it is what makes an atom nitrogen.