Element 7 · Nitrogen (N)

Nitrogen Bohr model: diagram and electrons per shell

The nitrogen Bohr model shows a nitrogen atom (N) as a small nucleus with its electrons circling it in 2 shells: 2 in shell K and 5 in shell L. This page has a rotating 3D nitrogen Bohr model, a flat diagram, a table of the electrons in each shell and the steps to draw it yourself.

Rotate the nitrogen Bohr model in 3D

Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom.

This is a Bohr model of nitrogen (N), a simplified picture of a single nitrogen atom. Its nucleus holds 7 protons, and a neutral nitrogen atom has 7 electrons, arranged around it in 2 shells (2 in shell K and 5 in shell L).

N K · 21s² L · 52s² 2p³

Nitrogen Bohr model diagram

Bohr model diagram of nitrogen: a nucleus of 7 protons with 7 electrons on 2 shells, 2 in shell K and 5 in shell L, each ring labelled with its shell letter. — The nitrogen Bohr model drawn flat: each ring is a shell, labelled with its letter, and every dot is an electron (2 in shell K and 5 in shell L).

Nitrogen electrons per shell

A neutral nitrogen atom has 7 electrons, one for each of its 7 protons. They fill the shells from the nucleus outwards: 2 in shell K and 5 in shell L.

Electrons in each shell of the nitrogen Bohr model
Shell	Shell number (n)	Electrons	Most it can hold (2n²)	Subshells
K	1	2	2	1s²
L	2	5	8	2s² 2p³

How the nitrogen Bohr model builds up, shell by shell

Watch the nitrogen Bohr model come together: the nucleus first, then each shell in turn, from the innermost outwards, with its electrons joining the ring. The legend names every shell and counts its electrons, so you can read off the arrangement (2 in shell K and 5 in shell L) as it forms.

Animation of the nitrogen Bohr model being built: a nucleus of 7 protons appears first, then each shell grows in around it and takes its electrons, giving 7 electrons on 2 shells (2 in shell K and 5 in shell L). — The nitrogen Bohr model built up in six seconds: the nucleus first, then each shell with its electrons, ending with 2 in shell K and 5 in shell L. Protons are red, neutrons yellow and electrons blue.

How to draw the nitrogen Bohr model

Find the atomic number. Nitrogen has atomic number 7, so a neutral atom has 7 protons and 7 electrons.
Draw the nucleus. Put a circle in the centre and write N in it. The 7 protons sit there with the neutrons.
Draw the shells. Sketch 2 shells as rings around the nucleus. A shell holds at most 2n² electrons: 2 in the first, 8 in the second, 18 in the third and 32 in the fourth.
Place the electrons. Fill from the inside out: 2 in shell K and 5 in shell L.
Check the total. 2 + 5 = 7, the atomic number, so every electron is accounted for.

Atomic data for the nitrogen Bohr model

The numbers behind the nitrogen Bohr model, grouped by topic. Radii are in picometres (pm) and energies in kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).

Identity

Symbol: N
Atomic number: 7
Atomic mass: 14.007 u
Family: Reactive Nonmetals
Position: group 15, period 2
Block: p-block

Electron configuration

Full: 1s² 2s² 2p³
Shorthand: [He] 2s² 2p³
Electrons per shell: 2, 5
Outer-shell electrons: 5 in shell L

Ionisation energies

I₁: 1402.3
I₂: 2856
I₃: 4578.1
I₄: 7475
I₅: 9444.9
I₆: 53266.6
I₇: 64360

Energy to remove each electron in turn (kJ/mol). A sharp jump means the next electron comes from an inner shell.

Atomic radii

Calculated (pm): 56
Empirical (pm): 65
Covalent (pm): 71
Van der Waals (pm): 155

Electronegativity and electron affinity

Electronegativity (Pauling): 3.04
Electron affinity (kJ/mol): -6.8

Oxidation states

−3 +3 +5

Charges the element commonly takes in compounds.

Physical properties, abundance and history of nitrogen

Bulk properties of nitrogen, how common it is, who discovered it and some of its compounds.

Physical properties

Phase at room conditions: Gas
Appearance: Colorless gas, liquid or solid
Melting point: -210°C (63.15 K)
Boiling point: -195.79°C (77.355 K)
Density: 0.001251 g/cm³
Thermal conductivity (W/m·K): 0.026
Specific heat (J/g·K): 1.04

Abundance

Earth's crust (mg/kg): 19
Oceans (mg/L): 0.5

Discovery

Discovered by: Daniel Rutherford
Year: 1772
Named by: Jean-Antoine Chaptal

Common compounds

Saccharin C7H5NO3S
Parathion C10H14NO5PS
Dimethoate C5H12NO3PS2
L-(+)-Cysteine C3H7NO2S
Allyl Isothiocyanate C4H5NS
Dimethylformamide C3H7NO
Methyl isothiocyanate C2H3NS
N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone C5H9NO

Compounds listed in the PubChem database.

Main isotopes of nitrogen

Isotopes of nitrogen share the same 7 protons but differ in neutrons. Natural isotopes come first, then the longest-lived others.

Main isotopes of nitrogen: mass number, abundance, half-life and decay
Mass number	Natural abundance	Half-life	Decay
13	–	9.965 min	β⁺
14	99.621 %	stable	–
15	0.38 %	stable	–
16	–	7.13 s	β⁻, β⁻α
17	–	4.173 s	β⁻, β⁻n, β⁻α
18	–	619.2 ms	β⁻, β⁻n, β⁻α, 2n

α = alpha decay, β⁻ = beta-minus, β⁺ = beta-plus, EC = electron capture, SF = spontaneous fission, p / n = proton / neutron emission.

More about nitrogen

Nitrogen on the periodic table – properties, isotopes, uses and the full nitrogen page.
Reactive Nonmetals – all reactive nonmetal elements and their trends.
Bohr model of every element – the Bohr model of all 118 elements.