How many protons does a nitrogen atom have?

Many nitrogen atoms have seven neutrons (14-7 = 7). Some atoms of nitrogen, however, have eight electrons. They are atoms of N-15, an isotope of nitrogen. In a neutral atom, the number of protons must equal the number of electrons. This means a neutral atom of nitrogen must have seven electrons to match its seven protons. read more

Nitrogen is the fifth most abundant element in the Universe, and 99.64 percent of this elemental nitrogen is the stable isotope nitrogen-14. The second stable isotope, nitrogen-15, is rare in nature; but, it is used extensively in agriculture and industry. read more