Home > Encyclopedia of Science > Nitrogen Family

• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Arsenic and antimony
• Bismuth

The nitrogen family consists of the five elements that make up Group 15 of the periodic table: nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth. These five elements share one important structural property: they all have five electrons in the outermost energy level of their atoms. Nonetheless, they are strikingly different from each other in both physical properties and chemical behavior. Nitrogen is a nonmetallic gas; phosphorus is a solid nonmetal; arsenic and antimony are metalloids; and bismuth is a typical metal.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas with a melting point of −210°C (−346°F) and a boiling point of −196°C (−320°F). It is the most abundant element in the...