Nitrogen is the 5th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. It is an essential component of plants, where it forms the base of amino acids and nucleic acids. Nitrogen is also found in many animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Nitrogen exists in three main states: solid (dry ice), liquid (ammonia) and gas (air). At room temperature, nitrogen is a colorless, odorless diatomic gas. When cooled to -195 degrees Celsius (-320 degrees Fahrenheit), it becomes a colorless solid that looks like ice.

Nitrogen has five valence electrons in its outer shell and needs two more to complete its octet. This means that it can form two covalent bonds with other atoms or molecules.

Last modified: September 19, 2022