Is nitrogen gas a compound?

1 Answer
Meave60
Dec 22, 2015

It is not a compound. Nitrogen gas is a diatomic element with the formula #"N"_2"#.

Explanation:

A compound is composed of two or more elements chemically bonded. Nitrogen is an element, not a compound. It is found in nature as nitrogen gas, also called dinitrogen, with the chemical formula #"N"_2"#, and makes up #78%# of the atmosphere.
It is a diatomic element because it is composed of two nitrogen atoms chemically bonded.

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