Element 7

Nitrogen (N)

Reactive nonmetal · Period 2 · Group 15 · p-block

Nitrogen (N) is element 7 of the periodic table, a reactive nonmetal in period 2, group 15 (p-block) with an atomic mass of 14.007 and is a gas at standard conditions.

At a glance

Atomic number
7
Symbol
N
Atomic mass
14.007 u
Category
Reactive nonmetals
Period
2
Group
15
Block
p-block
Phase at STP
gas

Electron structure

Electron configuration
1s2 2s2 2p3
Shorthand configuration
[He] 2s2 2p3
Electrons per shell
2, 5
Oxidation states
-3, -2, -1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5

Physical properties

Melting point
63.15 K
Boiling point
77.36 K
Density
0.0012506 g/cm3
Phase
gas

Atomic properties

Electronegativity (Pauling)
3.04
Atomic radius
56 pm
Covalent radius
71 pm
Van der Waals radius
155 pm
First ionization energy
1402 kJ/mol
Electron affinity
-7 kJ/mol

Notable isotopes

IsotopeMassAbundanceStability
N-1414.0030799.63%Stable

Common uses

  • Fertilizers
  • Explosives
  • Food preservation
  • Cryogenics

Discovery

Year
1772
Discovered by
Daniel Rutherford
Country
Scotland

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