What is the oxidation number of nitrogen?

The oxidation number of nitrogen can vary depending on the compound it is in.

In most cases, nitrogen has an oxidation number of -3 when it is in its elemental form or when it is in compounds such as ammonia (NH3) or nitrides (e.g. Na3N).

However, nitrogen can also have oxidation numbers of -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, or even +6 in various compounds. For example, in nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen has an oxidation number of +4, and in nitric acid (HNO3), nitrogen has an oxidation number of +5.

Overall, nitrogen can exhibit a wide range of oxidation numbers depending on the specific compound and its chemical structure.