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Compare Carbon vs Nitrogen

Comparing Carbon (C) and Nitrogen (N). Atomic numbers 6 and 7 with atomic masses 12.01 u and 14.006 u, classified as nonmetal and nonmetal. Below: a side-by-side comparison of their physical, atomic, electron-configuration and historical properties, including density, melting and boiling points, ionization energies, oxidation states and discovery history.

vs
C
Carbon
#6
N
Nitrogen
#7

Periodic properties of the elements

CarbonNitrogen
SymbolCN
Atomic number67
Group1415
Period22
Blockpp
Element categoryNonmetalNonmetal

Physical properties

CarbonNitrogen
Phase at STPSolidGas
Density1.821 g/cm31.251 g/cm3
Atomic weight12.0096 u14.0064 u
Melting point-63.15 K
-210 °C
-346 °F
Boiling point-77.355 K
-195.795 °C
-320.431 °F

Atomic properties

CarbonNitrogen
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)2.553.04
Electron affinity121.776 kJ/mol-6.8 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−4, −3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4
(a mildly acidic oxide)		−3, −2, −1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5
(a strongly acidic oxide)
Ionization energies
  1. 1086.5 kJ/mol
  2. 2352.6 kJ/mol
  3. 4620.5 kJ/mol
  4. 6222.7 kJ/mol
  5. 37831 kJ/mol
  6. 47277 kJ/mol
  1. 1402.3 kJ/mol
  2. 2856 kJ/mol
  3. 4578.1 kJ/mol
  4. 7475 kJ/mol
  5. 9444.9 kJ/mol
  6. 53266.6 kJ/mol
  7. 64360 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

CarbonNitrogen
Shorthand configuration[He] 2s2 2p2 [He] 2s2 2p3
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p2 1s2 2s2 2p3
Electrons per shell2, 42, 5

History

CarbonNitrogen
DiscoveryEgyptians and Sumerians (3750 BC)Daniel Rutherford (1772)
First isolationDaniel Rutherford (1772)
Named byJean-Antoine Chaptal (1790)
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