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Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at seventh in total abundance in the Milky Way and the Solar System.
The pnictogens [1] (/ ˈ p n ɪ k t ə dʒ ə n / or / ˈ n ɪ k t ə dʒ ə n /; from Ancient Greek: πνῑ́γω "to choke" and -gen, "generator") are the chemical elements in group 15 of the periodic table. This group is also known as the nitrogen group or nitrogen family.
The amount of nitrogen in a chemical substance can be determined by the Kjeldahl method. [21] In particular, nitrogen is an essential component of nucleic acids, amino acids and thus proteins, and the energy-carrying molecule adenosine triphosphate and is thus vital to all life on Earth. [20]
Nitrogen-13 and oxygen-15 are produced in the atmosphere when gamma rays (for example from lightning) knock neutrons out of nitrogen-14 and oxygen-16: 14 N + γ → 13 N + n 16 O + γ → 15 O + n. The nitrogen-13 produced as a result decays with a half-life of 9.965(4) min to carbon-13, emitting a positron.
Solid nitrogen is mainly the subject of academic research, but low-temperature, low-pressure solid nitrogen is a substantial component of bodies in the outer Solar System and high-temperature, high-pressure solid nitrogen is a powerful explosive, with higher energy density than any other non-nuclear material.
Nitrogen is the most critical element obtained by plants from the soil, to the exception of moist tropical forests where phosphorus is the limiting soil nutrient, [36] and nitrogen deficiency often limits plant growth. [37] Plants can use nitrogen as either the ammonium cation (NH 4 +) or the anion nitrate (NO 3 −).
Liquid nitrogen is one of the "coolest" things to experiment with and there are many videos of tests that show how a variety of materials react when they get in touch with it.
The nitrogen cycle is an important process in the ocean as well. While the overall cycle is similar, there are different players [40] and modes of transfer for nitrogen in the ocean. Nitrogen enters the water through the precipitation, runoff, or as N 2 from the atmosphere. Nitrogen cannot be utilized by phytoplankton as N