Nitrogen is an essential element that is found in the atmosphere and is an important component of living organisms. It is a non-metal and is quite reactive, forming compounds with a wide range of elements. However, it only reacts with a few elements in the s-block of the periodic table, namely lithium and magnesium.




Nitrogen has five valence electrons and needs three more electrons to complete its octet. It can do this by either gaining three electrons or by sharing three electrons with other atoms. Nitrogen is highly electronegative, which means it tends to attract electrons towards itself. This makes it difficult for nitrogen to form covalent bonds with other non-metals.


The s-block elements in the periodic table include the alkali metals (group 1) and alkaline earth metals (group 2). These elements have one and two valence electrons, respectively, and tend to lose these electrons to form cations. The resulting cations have a noble gas configuration, which is highly stable.


Lithium is the first element in group 1 of the periodic table and has a single valence electron. When lithium reacts with nitrogen, it forms lithium nitride (Li3N). The reaction is highly exothermic and requires high temperatures to proceed. The reaction can be represented as follows:

2 Li + N2 → 2 Li3N


Magnesium is the second element in group 2 of the periodic table and has two valence electrons. When magnesium reacts with nitrogen, it forms magnesium nitride (Mg3N2). The reaction is also highly exothermic and requires high temperatures to proceed. The reaction can be represented as follows:

3 Mg + N2 → Mg3N2


In conclusion, nitrogen only reacts with a few elements in the s-block of the periodic table, namely lithium and magnesium. This is due to nitrogen's high electronegativity, which makes it difficult for nitrogen to form covalent bonds with other non-metals. The resulting compounds, lithium nitride and magnesium nitride, are highly stable and have important industrial applications.

Lithium is the smallest atom among alkali metals. ... When Lithium reacts with nitrogen gas at room temperature (N2), it forms Lithium Nitride (Li3N) which is stable, because the lattice energy released from the formation of Li3N is high enough to make the overall reaction exothermic.
When elemental magnesium burns in air, it combines with oxygen to form an ionic compound called magnesium oxide or MgO. The magnesium can also combine with nitrogen to form magnesium nitride, Mg3N2, and can react with carbon dioxide as well.