Nitrogen Electron Configuration

Explore nitrogen's electron configuration 1s² 2s² 2p³, its orbital box diagram, quantum numbers, and shell diagrams for any element by atomic number.

Use the Nitrogen Electron Configuration

7

Element 7 — Nitrogen

1s² 2s² 2p³

Noble-gas notation: [He] 2s² 2p³ • 5 valence electrons

Electron Configuration Notations

Full spdf Notation 1s² 2s² 2p³
Noble-Gas Shorthand [He] 2s² 2p³
Subshell Breakdown
1s² 2s² 2p³
Valence Shell 2s² 2p³ (5 electrons, n=2)
Core Electrons 1s² (2 electrons, [He] core)
Unpaired Electrons 3 (in 2px, 2py, 2pz)
Half-filled stability: Nitrogen's 2p subshell is exactly half-filled (one electron per orbital, all spin-up). This maximizes exchange energy and minimizes electron repulsion, making nitrogen's configuration unusually stable compared to its neighbors carbon and oxygen.

Summary

Nitrogen (atomic number 7) has the ground-state electron configuration 1s² 2s² 2p³. Its three 2p electrons each occupy a separate orbital with parallel spins — a textbook application of Hund's rule. This gives nitrogen a half-filled 2p subshell that is unusually stable. The tool shows the full spdf notation, noble-gas shorthand [He] 2s² 2p³, an orbital box diagram, and a quantum-number table for all seven electrons. An interactive explorer lets you enter any atomic number from 1 to 36 to see that element's ground-state configuration and shell diagram.

How it works

  1. Nitrogen has 7 protons, so the neutral atom has 7 electrons.
  2. Electrons fill orbitals from lowest to highest energy following the Aufbau principle: 1s → 2s → 2p.
  3. The first two fill 1s, the next two fill 2s, and the final three each occupy a separate 2p orbital (2px, 2py, 2pz) with spin-up — Hund's rule.
  4. Use the tabs to switch between notations, the orbital box diagram, quantum numbers, and the element explorer.
  5. In the Element Explorer tab, enter any atomic number 1–36 to see the electron configuration and shell population for that element.

Use cases

  • Review nitrogen's electron configuration for a chemistry exam.
  • Understand why the half-filled 2p subshell makes nitrogen stable.
  • Look up the four quantum numbers (n, l, mℓ, mΰ) for each of the 7 electrons.
  • Compare the full spdf notation to the noble-gas shorthand.
  • Explore shell diagrams for any element from hydrogen to krypton.
  • Teach orbital filling order and Hund's rule with an interactive diagram.
  • Verify why nitrogen forms three covalent bonds (three unpaired 2p electrons).

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-09-30 · Reviewed by Nham Vu