(So named (
Greek nitron,
niter +
French -gène,
-gen) in
1790 by
J. A. Chaptal, because
niter resulted when it was sparked with
oxygen in the presence of
potassium hydroxide) A colorless, tasteless, odorless
gaseous chemical element forming nearly four fifths of the
atmosphere. It is a component of all
proteins and
nucleic acids.
Symbol: N
Atomic number: 7
Atomic weight: 14.00674
Density (at 0°C with 101,325 pascals): 1.2506 g/L
Melting point: -209.86°C
Boiling point: -195.79°C
Valence: -3, +3, +5
Ground state electron configuration: [He]2s22p3