Glossary
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen Cycle | The natural circulation of nitrogen among the atmosphere, plants, animals, and microorganisms that live in soil and water. Nitrogen takes on a variety of chemical forms throughout the nitrogen cycle, including nitrous oxide and nitrogen oxides. Climate Change |
| Nitrous oxide (N2O) | A long-lived greenhouse gas released mainly from agricultural fertilizers and manure, as well as industry and burning fuels. It traps about 270 times more heat than carbon dioxide over 100 years and also depletes the ozone layer. Climate Change |
| Nitrous Oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) | A powerful greenhouse gas with a global warming potential of 298 times that of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>). Major sources of nitrous oxide include soil cultivation practices, especially the use of commercial and organic fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion, nitric acid production, and biomass burning. Climate Change |
| No true Scotsman | Dismissing counterexamples to a generalization by redefining the group to exclude them. Science Literacy |
| Non sequitur | A conclusion that does not logically follow from the statements offered in support of it. Science Literacy |
| Non-ionizing radiation | Lower-energy radiation, such as radio waves, microwaves, and visible light, that does not have enough energy to remove electrons from atoms or damage DNA directly. Science General |
| Non-Linear Relationship | When a given increase in one variable (x, or the independent variable) does not always correspond to a constant increase in the other variable (y, or the dependent variable), for all possible values of x. The graph of this relationship will be a curve instead of a straight line (as is the case in linear relationships). Science General |
| Normal distribution | A symmetrical, bell-shaped distribution of data in which most values cluster around the mean. Science General |
| Novavax | A U.S. company that makes a protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine using lab-made spike protein nanoparticles combined with an adjuvant. Vaccines |
| Nuclear fission | The splitting of a heavy atomic nucleus into smaller nuclei, releasing large amounts of energy. It powers nuclear reactors. Science General |