Full configuration
1s² 2s² 2p³
In the short form, [He] stands for the 2 electrons of helium, the noble gas before nitrogen. Only the electrons after it are written out.
Orbital diagram
Outer subshells only. Each box is an orbital; electrons fill singly first (Hund's rule), then pair up with opposite spins.
What the configuration tells you
Nitrogen's three 2p electrons sit in three separate orbitals (Hund's rule). That half-filled 2p is extra stable, which is why nitrogen's ionization energy is higher than oxygen's.
Configuration of nitrogen ions
| Ion | Configuration | Unpaired | Moment (BM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| N³⁻ | [Ne] | 0 | 0.00 |
Moment is the spin-only magnetic moment μ = √(n(n + 2)) Bohr magnetons, where n is the number of unpaired electrons.
Nearby elements
| Z | Element | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Beryllium | [He] 2s² |
| 5 | Boron | [He] 2s² 2p¹ |
| 6 | Carbon | [He] 2s² 2p² |
| 8 | Oxygen | [He] 2s² 2p⁴ |
| 9 | Fluorine | [He] 2s² 2p⁵ |
| 10 | Neon | [He] 2s² 2p⁶ |
Questions students ask
What is the electronic configuration of nitrogen?
[He] 2s² 2p³, or in full, 1s² 2s² 2p³. Nitrogen has atomic number 7.
How many electrons are in each shell of nitrogen?
2, 5 (K, L, M, N… shells in order).
How many unpaired electrons does nitrogen have?
3 in the ground state, so nitrogen atoms are paramagnetic.
What is the electronic configuration of N³⁻?
[Ne], with 0 unpaired electrons.