The Nitrogen Cycle Interactive Simulation

The nitrogen cycle moves nitrogen between the atmosphere (78% N₂), soil, and living organisms. Fixation creates ammonia or ammonium; nitrification creates nitrate; assimilation builds organic molecules; ammonification returns organic nitrogen to ammonium; and denitrification converts soil nitrate back to atmospheric N₂. Students can change process and compare what happens. Use it for earth science inquiry with Grade 5, Middle School, and High School on a projector or student device.

Standards: NGSS MS-LS2-3

• Why plants cannot use atmospheric N₂ directly — they need bacteria to fix it first
• How leguminous plants (beans, peas) host nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules
• Why nitrification must happen in two steps (ammonia → nitrite → nitrate)
• How decomposers ammonify nitrogen in dead organisms and waste
• Why denitrification begins with soil nitrate rather than organic nitrogen
• How human activities (fertilisers, combustion) have accelerated the nitrogen cycle

1. 1Predict how changing process will affect the visible outcome, then test the prediction.
2. 2Use evidence from the interactive visual to explain the result.

Questions teachers ask