View source for Nitrogen group



{| align="right" style="margin:0 0 1em 1em;"
!'' [[Periodic table group|Group]]
! 15
|-
!'' [[Periodic table period|Period]]
|-
! [[Period 2 element|2]]
| {{element cell| 7|Nitrogen|N| |Gas|Nonmetals|Primordial}}
|-
! [[Period 3 element|3]]
| {{element cell|15|Phosphorus|P| |Solid|Nonmetals|Primordial}}
|-
! [[Period 4 element|4]]
| {{element cell|33|Arsenic|As| |Solid|Metalloids|Primordial}}
|-
!  [[Period 5 element|5]]
| {{element cell|51|Antimony|Sb| |Solid|Metalloids|Primordial}}
|-
! [[Period 6 element|6]]
| {{element cell|83|Bismuth|Bi| |Solid|Poor metals|Primordial}}
|-
! [[Period 7 element|7]]
| {{element cell|115|Ununpentium|Uup| |Solid|Poor metals|Synthetic}}
|}

[[periodic table group|Group]] 15 of the periodic table(formerly numbered as Group Ⅴ or Group ⅤA) is also known by the collective name '''pnictogens'''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry: IUPAC Recommendations 2005 section IR-3.5|editor=Edited by N G Connelly and T Damhus (with R M Hartshorn and A T Hutton)|year=2005|isbn=0-85404-438-8|url=http://www.iupac.org/publications/books/rbook/Red_Book_2005.pdf}}</ref>

This group has the defining characteristic that all the component
elements have 5 electrons in their outermost shell, that is 2 electrons in the s subshell and 3 unpaired electrons in the p subshell. They are therefore 3 electrons short of filling their outermost electron shell in their non-ionized state.  
The most important element of this group is [[nitrogen]] ('''N'''), which in its diatomic form is the principal component of air. 
Other members of the group include [[phosphorus]] ('''P'''), [[arsenic]] ('''As'''), [[antimony]] ('''Sb'''), [[bismuth]] ('''Bi''') and [[ununpentium]] ('''Uup''') (unconfirmed).

Binary compounds of the group can be referred to collectively as '''pnictides'''.  The spelling derives from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''πνίγειν'' (''pnigein''), to choke or stifle, which is a property of nitrogen; they are also [[mnemonic]] for the two most common members, P and N.  The name '''pentels''' (from the Latin ''penta'', five) was also used for this group at one time, stemming from the earlier group naming convention (Group VB).

[[Image:Stickstoff-gruppe.jpg|left|200px]]
These elements are also noted for their stability in compounds due to their tendency for forming double and triple [[covalent bonds]]. This is the property of these elements which leads to their potential toxicity, most evident in phosphorus, arsenic and antimony. When these substances react with various chemicals of the body, they create strong [[free radicals]] not easily processed by the liver, where they accumulate.  Paradoxically it is this strong bonding which causes nitrogen and bismuth's reduced toxicity (when in molecules), as these form strong bonds with other atoms which are difficult to split, creating very unreactive molecules. For example N<sub>2</sub>, the [[diatomic]] form of nitrogen, is used for inert atmosphere in situations where [[xenon]] or another [[noble gas]] would be prohibitively expensive. 

The nitrogen group consits of two non-metals, two metalloids, and one metal.  All the elements in the group are a solid at room temperatue except for Nitrogen which is a gas at room temperature.

==References==
<references />


{|style="text-align: center;" border="1" cellpadding="2" 
|+ '''Explanation of above periodic table slice:'''
! bgcolor="{{element color/Nonmetals}}" | [[Nonmetal]]s
! bgcolor="{{element color/Metalloids}}" | [[Metalloid]]s
! bgcolor="{{element color/Poor metals}}" | [[Poor metal]]s
| atomic number in <font color="{{element color/Gas}}">{{element color/Gas}}</font> are gases
| atomic number in <font color="{{element color/Solid}}">{{element color/Solid}}</font> are solids
| style="border:{{element frame/Primordial}};" | solid borders are [[primordial element]]s (older than the [[Earth]])
| style="border:{{element frame/Synthetic}};" | dotted borders are [[radioactive decay|radioactive]], [[synthetic element]]s
|}



{{PeriodicTablesFooter}}  

[[Category:Chemical element groups]]
[[Category:Periodic table]]
[[Category:Pnictogens| ]]

[[ar:مجموعة نيتروجين]]
[[ast:Elementos del grupu 15]]
[[bs:15. grupa hemijskih elemenata]]
[[ca:Grup del nitrogen]]
[[cs:Pentely]]
[[de:Stickstoffgruppe]]
[[es:Grupo del nitrógeno]]
[[eo:Elemento de grupo 15]]
[[fr:Pnictogène]]
[[ko:15족 원소]]
[[it:Gruppo dell'azoto]]
[[lmo:Grupp de l'azòot]]
[[nl:Stikstofgroep]]
[[ja:第15族元素]]
[[nn:Gruppe 15]]
[[nds:Cheemsch Elementen vun de 15. Grupp]]
[[pt:Grupo do nitrogênio]]
[[sk:Pentely]]
[[sr:15. група хемијских елемената]]
[[sh:15. grupa hemijskih elemenata]]
[[fi:Typpiryhmä]]
[[sv:Kvävegruppen]]
[[th:พีนิคโตเจน]]
[[vi:Nhóm nitơ]]
[[tr:Nitrojen grubu]]
[[zh:氮族元素]]

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