7 N

Nitrogen (N)

Element 7 · Reactive nonmetal · Gas at 25 °C · Group 15, Period 2

Nitrogen makes up about 78% of the air you're breathing right now, and nitrogen compounds in fertilizer help feed most of the world.

On the periodic table, nitrogen sits in group 15 — the pnictogens (nitrogen group) — in period 2. It is one of 7 elements classified as a reactive nonmetal, and at room temperature (25 °C) it is a gas — one of 11 elements that are gases at room temperature.

The reactive nonmetals are a diverse family that includes hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, and selenium. They gain or share electrons in chemical reactions, forming the covalent bonds that hold molecules together. Most of the atoms in living things — including virtually all of you — belong to this category.

Properties of nitrogen

Properties of Nitrogen
Atomic number (Z)	7
Symbol	N
Atomic mass	14.007
Category	Reactive nonmetal
Group	15
Period	2
Block	p-block
Metal / nonmetal	Nonmetal
State at 25 °C	Gas
Electron configuration	[He] 2s2 2p3
Electronegativity (Pauling)	3.04
Melting point	-210.1 °C (63.05 K / -346.18 °F)
Boiling point	-195.79 °C (77.36 K / -320.42 °F)
Density	0.001251 g/cm³

Position in the periodic table

Nitrogen shares group 15 — the pnictogens (nitrogen group) with Phosphorus (P), Arsenic (As), Antimony (Sb), Bismuth (Bi), Moscovium (Mc). Elements in the same group have the same number of outer electrons, so they tend to behave alike chemically — comparing them is one of the fastest ways to see periodic trends in action.

Within this dataset, it ranks #4 in electronegativity out of 99 elements with a pauling value.

Physical properties

Nitrogen melts at -210.1 °C (63.05 K / -346.18 °F) and boils at -195.79 °C (77.36 K / -320.42 °F), giving it a liquid range of about 14.3 °C at standard pressure.

As a gas at standard conditions, its density is 0.001251 g/cm³ — measured at STP like the other gaseous elements here.