NITROGEN part I

Nitrogen comprises about of the earth's atmosphere, and it is the source of the commercial and
industrial gas.
Nitrogen is in Group of the Periodic Table, which has an electronic configuration of
Nitrogen has two very different parts to play in the lives of people:
a) Nitrogen is an essential part of all living organisms, which is present in tissues as compounds called
b) Nitrogen is an essential part of many .

1. Preparation
(a) Preparation of nitrogen by the action of heat on
Equation:

b) Preparation of nitrogen by action of gas on copper(II) oxide

Equation:

2. Industrial preparation
Air is liquefied under pressure. When liquefied air is distilled, liquid nitrogen boils first at ºC and
oxygen (about 20.9%) boils off at ºC. This process is known as .

3. Physical Properties
(a) Nitrogen is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas. It is a （窒息）gas. Although it does not
support life, it is not poisonous.

(b) Pure nitrogen is slightly than air.

(c) It is in water. volumes of the gas dissolves in 100 volumes of water at

room temperature.

(d) It melts at -210ºC, boils at ºC under atmospheric pressure.

4. Chemical Properties
Nitrogen has variable oxidation states in different compounds. always reacts as reducing
agent and always reacts as strong oxidizing agent.

(a) Reaction with metals

3 Mg (s) + N2 (g) 

Mg3N2 (s) + 6 H2O(l) 

Reaction with hydrogen

Nitrogen combines reversibly with hydrogen. ( Process)

Reaction with oxygen

Nitrogen combines directly with oxygen at very high temperatures (about 2000ºC) to form small amounts of
. In nature, this occurs in the atmosphere during lightning flashes.

5. Test for nitrogen

6. Uses
(a) Nitrogen is used in the manufacture of , cyanides (𝐶𝑁− ) and (𝐶𝑁𝑂− ) (an
important fertilizer).

(b) Liquid nitrogen is used as a agent.

(c) It is also used as a preservative to prevent (due to the oxidation of fats) in packaged foods.

(d) As a carrier gas in gas .

**Gas (GC) is an analytical technique used to separate the chemical components of

a sample mixture and then detect them to determine their presence or absence and/or how much is
present. These chemical components are usually organic molecules or gases