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Compare Nitrogen vs Carbon

Comparing Nitrogen (N) and Carbon (C). Atomic numbers 7 and 6 with atomic masses 14.006 u and 12.01 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
N
Nitrogen
#7
C
Carbon
#6

Periodic properties of the elements

NitrogenCarbon
SymbolNC
Atomic number76
Group1514
Period22
Blockpp
Element categoryNonmetalNonmetal

Physical properties

NitrogenCarbon
Phase at STPGasSolid
Density1.251 g/cm31.821 g/cm3
Atomic weight14.0064 u12.0096 u
Melting point63.15 K
-210 °C
-346 °F		-
Boiling point77.355 K
-195.795 °C
-320.431 °F		-

Atomic properties

NitrogenCarbon
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)3.042.55
Electron affinity-6.8 kJ/mol121.776 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−3, −2, −1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5
(a strongly acidic oxide)		−4, −3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4
(a mildly acidic oxide)
Ionization energies
  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
  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

Electron configuration

NitrogenCarbon
Shorthand configuration[He] 2s2 2p3 [He] 2s2 2p2
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p3 1s2 2s2 2p2
Electrons per shell2, 52, 4

History

NitrogenCarbon
DiscoveryDaniel Rutherford (1772)Egyptians and Sumerians (3750 BC)
First isolationDaniel Rutherford (1772)
Named byJean-Antoine Chaptal (1790)
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