Nitrogen vs Phosphorus
Nitrogen and Phosphorus sit in the same column of the periodic table — same family, one period apart — so almost every difference between them comes from one thing: the extra electron shell Phosphorus wears.
Side by side
| Property | Nitrogen | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol | N | P |
| Atomic number (Z) | 7 | 15 |
| Atomic mass | 14.007 u | 30.974 u |
| Category | Nonmetal | Nonmetal |
| Group | 15 | 15 |
| Period | 2 | 3 |
| Phase at room temp | gas | solid |
| Electron configuration | [He] 2s^2 2p^3 | [Ne] 3s^2 3p^3 |
| Valence electrons | 5 | 5 |
| Atomic radius | 56 pm | 98 pm |
| Electronegativity | 3.04 | 2.19 |
| First ionisation energy | 1402 kJ/mol | 1012 kJ/mol |
The verdicts
- Bigger atom: Phosphorus — the lower an element sits in its group, the more shells it wears.
- Greedy electron-taker: Nitrogen — higher electronegativity means it pulls shared electrons harder.
- Heavier: Phosphorus — compare the atomic masses in the table above.
Want the visual version with bars for radius, electronegativity and ionisation energy? Open the interactive compare tool with this pair already loaded.