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Compare Oxygen vs Nitrogen

Comparing Oxygen (O) and Nitrogen (N). Atomic numbers 8 and 7 with atomic masses 15.999 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
O
Oxygen
#8
N
Nitrogen
#7

Periodic properties of the elements

OxygenNitrogen
SymbolON
Atomic number87
Group1615
Period22
Blockpp
Element categoryNonmetalNonmetal

Physical properties

OxygenNitrogen
Phase at STPGasGas
Density1.429 g/cm31.251 g/cm3
Atomic weight15.999 u14.0064 u
Melting point54.36 K
-218.79 °C
-361.822 °F		63.15 K
-210 °C
-346 °F
Boiling point90.188 K
-182.962 °C
-297.3316 °F		77.355 K
-195.795 °C
-320.431 °F

Atomic properties

OxygenNitrogen
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)3.443.04
Electron affinity140.976 kJ/mol-6.8 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−2, −1, 0, +1, +2
()		−3, −2, −1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5
(a strongly acidic oxide)
Ionization energies
  1. 1313.9 kJ/mol
  2. 3388.3 kJ/mol
  3. 5300.5 kJ/mol
  4. 7469.2 kJ/mol
  5. 10989.5 kJ/mol
  6. 13326.5 kJ/mol
  7. 71330 kJ/mol
  8. 84078 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

OxygenNitrogen
Shorthand configuration[He] 2s2 2p4 [He] 2s2 2p3
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p4 1s2 2s2 2p3
Electrons per shell2, 62, 5

History

OxygenNitrogen
DiscoveryCarl Wilhelm Scheele, Joseph Priestley (1774)Daniel Rutherford (1772)
First isolationDaniel Rutherford (1772)
Named byAntoine Lavoisier (1777)Jean-Antoine Chaptal (1790)
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