Nitrogen
Colourless, gaseous element which belongs to group 15 of the periodic table. Constitutes ~78% of the atmosphere and is an essential part of the ecosystem. Nitrogen for industrial purposes is acquired by the fractional distillation of liquid air. Chemically inactive, reactive generally only at high temperatures or in electrical discharges. It was discovered in 1772 by D. Rutherford.
Gallery
Jurii, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, source: https://images-of-elements.com/nitrogen.php
Emission spectrum
Physical Propertiesmass · density · phase · crystal
Atomic Mass
14.0070Da
Density
0.0011g/L
Phase (STP)
Gas
Melting Point
63.1K
Boiling Point
77.4K
Molar Heat
1.0400J/(mol·K)
Crystal Structure
HEX
Lattice Constant
4.039Å
Atomic Radiiatomic · covalent · van der Waals
Atomic (Empirical)
65.00pm
Covalent
71.00pm
Van der Waals
155.00pm
Electronic Propertieselectronegativity · ionization · affinity
Electron Configuration
[He] 2s2 2p3
Electron Shells
2, 5
Electronegativity
3.04Pauling
Electron Affinity
-1.4kJ/mol
1st Ionization Energy
14.5kJ/mol
Oxidation States
-3, -2, -1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5
Orbital DiagramAufbau · Hund's rule · Pauli exclusion
Full: 1s2 2s2 2p3Short: [He] 2s2 2p3
Ionization Energies (7 known)
Emission Spectrumvisible range · characteristic spectral lines
Abundanceby mass
Log scale · ppm = parts per million by mass
Biological Role
Key component of amino acids, nucleic acids, and ATP. Makes up ~3% of body mass.
Discovery
Discovered By
Daniel Rutherford
Named By
—
Year
1772
Nuclear Data
Known Isotopes
16
Stable Isotopes
4
Stable Mass Numbers
14, 15, 24, 25
Natural isotopic abundance (IUPAC recommended values)
Isotopes of N16 known
| Nuclide | Z | N | Mass (AMU) | Half-life | Decay | Jπ | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10N | 7 | 3 | 10.041654 | Unknown | p | 1- | — |
| 11N | 7 | 4 | 11.026158 | Unknown | p (1%) | 1/2+ | — |
| 12N | 7 | 5 | 12.018613 | 11.0 ms | β⁺ (1%), β⁺α (0.019299999999999998%) | 1+ | — |
| 14Nstable | 7 | 7 | 14.003074 | Stable | stable (1%) | 1+ | 9962.0500% |
| 15Nstable | 7 | 8 | 15.000109 | Stable | stable (1%) | 1/2- | 37.9500% |
| 23N | 7 | 16 | 23.039421 | 13.9 ms | β⁻ (1%), β⁻n (0.42%), 2n (0.08%), 3n (0.034%) | 1/2- | — |
| 24Nstable | 7 | 17 | 24.050390 | Stable | n | — | — |
| 25Nstable | 7 | 18 | 25.060100 | Stable | n, 2n, β⁻ | 1/2- | — |
Key Compoundscontaining N
NH₃
Ammonia
A pungent gas with a trigonal pyramidal shape
NO₂
Nitrogen Dioxide
A brown, toxic gas and key component of urban smog
NO
Nitric Oxide
A free radical signaling molecule in the body, regulating blood pressure, neurotransmission, and immune response
N₂H₄
Hydrazine
A simple diamine with an N–N single bond
HNO₃
Nitric Acid
A strong mineral acid and powerful oxidizer
CH₄N₂O
Urea
The main nitrogen waste product of mammalian metabolism, excreted in urine
C₁₀H₁₆N₅O₁₃P₃
Adenosine Triphosphate
ATP — the universal energy currency of life
C₅H₅N₅
Adenine
A purine nucleobase that pairs with thymine (in DNA) or uracil (in RNA) via two hydrogen bonds
C₅H₆N₂O₂
Thymine
A pyrimidine nucleobase found only in DNA (replaced by uracil in RNA)