Nitrogen (N)
Element 7 · Nonmetal · atomic mass 14.007 u · group 15, period 2
Electron shells: 2, 5
Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air but is almost inert as N₂, held together by one of the strongest bonds in chemistry. Breaking that bond industrially is what feeds most of the world.
About half the nitrogen atoms in your body were fixed from the air in a chemical plant.
- Atomic number
- 7
- Atomic mass
- 14.007 u
- Electron configuration
- [He] 2s² 2p³
- Group · period · block
- 15 · 2 · p
- Oxidation states
- −3, −2, −1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5
- Electronegativity
- 3.04 (Pauling)
- Melting point
- -210 °C
- Boiling point
- -196 °C
- Density
- 0.0012506 g/cm³
- State at 20 °C
- Gas
- Appearance
- Colourless, odourless gas
- Discovered
- Daniel Rutherford, 1772
7 protons, and 7 electrons when neutral
IUPAC interval [14.00643, 14.00728]
Pnictogens
What Nitrogen is used for
- Ammonia and fertiliser production
- Food packaging and freezing
- Inert atmosphere for chemistry
- Liquid-nitrogen cryogenics
Atomic structure of Nitrogen
A neutral nitrogen atom has 7 protons and 7 electrons. Its most common isotope carries about 7 neutrons, which is where the mass number 14 comes from. Change the neutron count and you have a different isotope of nitrogen; change the proton count and you have a different element entirely.
Those electrons fill shells from the inside out: 2, 5. In orbital notation that is [He] 2s² 2p³, leaving 5 valence electrons in the outer shell — the ones that do the chemistry.
3D electron orbitals
See where Nitrogen's electrons actually are — a cloud of 26,000 points sampled from the probability density |ψ|², not a cartoon of a lobe.
Where Nitrogen sits in the periodic table
Poor conductors that gain or share electrons rather than losing them. They make up almost all the mass of living things.
- Directly below: Phosphorus — same group, one shell larger.
- One proton lighter: Carbon.
- One proton heavier: Oxygen.
Discovery and naming
Nitrogen was discovered by Daniel Rutherford in 1772. Its name comes from Greek nitron + genes, "nitre-forming".
Keep exploring
Atomic weight from IUPAC/CIAAW; physical properties from PubChem (US National Library of Medicine). Values that have never been measured are shown as “not measured” rather than estimated.
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the atomic mass of Nitrogen?
The standard atomic weight of Nitrogen is 14.007 u. Because the natural isotope mix varies between sources, IUPAC publishes it as the interval [14.00643, 14.00728], and 14.007 is the conventional single value to use in calculations.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does Nitrogen have?
Nitrogen has 7 protons, because the atomic number is the proton count and that is what makes an atom Nitrogen at all. A neutral Nitrogen atom has the same number of electrons, 7. The neutron count varies by isotope; the most common one has about 7, since 14 − 7 = 7.
What is the electron configuration of Nitrogen?
The electron configuration of Nitrogen is [He] 2s² 2p³. Its electrons are arranged 2, 5 across 2 shells.
Is Nitrogen a metal?
No. Nitrogen is classified as a nonmetal, on the right-hand side of the table where elements gain or share electrons rather than losing them.
What group and period is Nitrogen in?
Nitrogen is in group 15 (the pnictogens), period 2, in the p-block. The group is its column and the period is its row.
What is the charge of Nitrogen?
Nitrogen most commonly forms a 3− ion. It is 3 electrons short of a full outer shell, so it gains them rather than losing 5. Across all its compounds it shows oxidation states of −3, −2, −1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5.
What is the melting point of Nitrogen?
Nitrogen melts at -210 °C and boils at -196 °C. That puts it in the gases at everyday temperatures.
What is Nitrogen used for?
Ammonia and fertiliser production, Food packaging and freezing, Inert atmosphere for chemistry, Liquid-nitrogen cryogenics. Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air but is almost inert as N₂, held together by one of the strongest bonds in chemistry.
Who discovered Nitrogen, and where does its name come from?
Nitrogen (N) was discovered by Daniel Rutherford in 1772. The name comes from Greek nitron + genes, "nitre-forming".