Nitrogen

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Nitrogen
N
In situ availability: trace
Necessity: essential
Atomic number: 7
Atomic mass: 14.00674
group: 15
period: 2
normal phase: Gas
series: Non-metals
density: 1.251 g/L
melting point: 63.15K,
-210.00°C,
-346.00°F
boiling point: 77.36K,
-195.79°C,
-320.42°F
N/AN/AN/A
C ← N → O
SiPS
Atomic radius (pm): 65
Bohr radius (pm): 56
Covalent radius (pm): 75
Van der Waals radius (pm): 155
ionic radius (pm): (+3) 16
1st ion potential (eV): 14.53
Electron Configuration
1s2
2s2 2p3
Electrons Per Shell
2, 5
Electronegativity: 3.04
Electron Affinity: Unstable anion
Oxidation states: +/-3, 5, 4, 2
Magnetism:
Crystal structure: Hexagonal

Nitrogen is a Non-metal in group 15. It has a Hexagonal crystalline structure. This element has two stable isotopes: 14 and 15.

"Nitrogen (N) is an essential element of life and a part of all plant and animal proteins. Nitrogen can be produced in several ways. Some plants, such as soybeans and other legumes, recover nitrogen directly from the atmosphere or from the soil in a process know as "fixation," whereby the plant incorporates nitrogen into glutamate with the help of symbiotic microorganisms. It is further processed in making essential amino acids, and proteins. Nitrogen is commercially recovered from the air as ammonia, which is produced by combining nitrogen in the atmosphere with hydrogen from natural gas. Ammonia is converted to other nitrogen compounds, the most important of which are urea (NH2CONH2), nitric acid (HNO3), ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), and ammonium sulfate [(NH4)2SO4]. With the exception of nitric acid, these compounds are widely used as fertilizer." - USGS Nitrogen Statistics and Information [1]

The amount of nitrogen on the moon is uncertain due to the lack of information on the inner part of the crust and a lack of information on the polar regions. Since nitrogen (as well as other volatiles) is sometimes found in association with hydrogen, the concentrations of hydrogen found near the lunar poles might also indicate concentrations of nitrogen. At least a rover on the ground in the polar regions will be needed to get firm information on the concentration of nitrogen there. Traces of nitrogen on the explored portions of Luna correspond to the range of 100 ppm. Therefore, nitrogen is extremely rare on the moon.[2]

References

  1. http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/nitrogen/
  2. Go to WaybackMachine and enter http://www.moonminer.com/Lunar_regolith.html for 20 January 2012
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