What group does nitrogen atom belong to?

• A. 3
• B. 7
• C. 5
• D. 15

Answer: (C)

Grouping elements by valence electrons helps us place nitrogen in the correct family. Nitrogen has five electrons in its outermost shell that can participate in bonding, so it sits in the group that corresponds to five valence electrons. In the modern 1–18 numbering, that is group 15. This family, known as the pnictogens, includes phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, and moscovium, and they share similar chemistry because of their five valence electrons. Numbers like 3 or 7 would imply different valence-electron counts, and 5 in this context would refer to a different convention that doesn’t line up with nitrogen’s actual valence. Therefore, nitrogen belongs to group 15.