Nitrogen Essays - Industrial Gases, Nitrogen, Pnictogen, Free Essays

Nitrogen Essays - Industrial Gases, Nitrogen, Pnictogen, Free Essays Nitrogen Nitrogen, symbol N, gaseous element that makes up the largest portion of the earth's atmosphere. The atomic number of nitrogen is 7. Nitrogen is in group 15 (or Va) of the periodic table. Nitrogen was discovered by the British physician Daniel Rutherford in 1772 and recognized as an elemental gas by the French chemist, Antoine Laurent Lavoiser about 1776. Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless tasteless, nontoxic gas. It can be condensed into a colorless liquid, which can be compressed into a colorless, crystalline solid. Nitrogen exists in two natural forms, and four radioactive forms (artificial). Nitrogen melts at -210.01 degrees C, (-349.02 F), boils at -195.79 C (320.42 F), and has a density of 1.251 g/liter at 0 C (32 F) and 1 atmosphere pressure. The atomic weight of nitrogen is 14.007. Nitrogen is obtained from the atmosphere by passing air over heated copper of iron. The oxygen is removed from the air, leaving nitrogen mixed with inert gases. Pure nitrogen is obtained by fractional distillation of liquid air; because liquid nitrogen has a lower boiling point than liquid oxygen, the nitrogen distills of first an can be collected. Nitrogen compresses about 4/5ths by volume of the atmosphere. Nitrogen is inert and serves as a diluent for oxygen in burning and respiration processes. It is an important element in plant nutrition; certain bacteria in the soil convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form, such as nitrate, that can be absorbed by plants, a process called nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen in the form of protein is an important constituent of animal tissue. The element occurs in the combined state in minerals, of which saltpeter (KNO ) and Chile saltpeter (NaNO ) are commercially important products. Nitrogen combines with other elements only at very high temperatures of pressures. It is converted to an active form by passing through an electronic discharge at low pressure. The nitrogen so produced is very active, combining with alkali metals to form azides; with the vapor of zinc, mercury cadmium, and arsenic to form nitrides; and with many hydrocarbons to form hydrocyanic acid and cyanides, also known as nitriles. Activated nitrogen returns to ordinary nitrogen in about one minute. In the combined state nitrogen takes part in many reactions; it forms so many compounds that a systematic scheme of compounds containing nitrogen in place of oxygen was created by the American chemist Edward Franklin. In compounds nitrogen exists in all the valence states between -3 and +5. Ammonia, hydrazine, and hydroxylamine represent compounds in which the valence of nitrogen is -3, -2, and -1, respectively. Oxides of nitrogen represent nitrogen in all the positive valence states. Most of the nitrogen used in the chemical industry is obtained by the fractional distillation of liquid air. It is then used to synthesize ammonia. From ammonia produced in this manner, a wide variety of important chemical products are prepared, including fertilizers, nitric acid, urea, hydrazine, and amines. In addition, an ammonia compound is used in the preparation of nitrous oxide (N 0) a colorless gas popularly known as laughing gas. Mixed with oxygen, nitrous oxide is used as an anesthetic for some types of surgery. Used as a coolant, liquid nitrogen has found widespread application in the field of cryogenics. With the recent advent of ceramic materials that become superconductive at the boiling point of nitrogen, the use of nitrogen as a coolant is increasing. In conclusion, it seems as if Nitrogen is very helpful in the modern world. It is used in dentists office's to using it for industrial applications. Without this element the world would be a little different in some fields.

Science Unit Conversion Humor

Science Unit Conversion Humor This is a list of funny, made-up scientific unit conversions. If you need help with real unit conversions, check out our collection of printable conversion worksheets and examples of worked unit conversion problems. 453.6 graham crackers 1 pound cakeExplanation: There are 453.6 grams in 1 pound.Ratio of an igloos circumference to its diameter Eskimo PiExplanation: Pi is the ratio of a circles circumference to diameter, while there is a stereotype that Eskimos dwell in igloos.2000 pounds of Chinese soup Won tonExplanation: A wonton is a type of Chinese dumpling. There are 2000 pounds in 1 ton.Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement 1 bananosecondExplanation: Instead of expressing the unit in terms of nanoseconds, its bananoseconds because a banana caused the fall.1 millionth of a mouthwash 1 microscopeExplanation: This refers to the popular mouthwash, Scope. The metric prefix micro means one millionth.1 million bicycles 1 megacyclesExplanation: The metric prefix mega means 106 or one million.Weight an evangelist carries with God 1 billigramExplanation: This refers to the American evangelist Billy Graham.Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour Knotfurl ong 365.25 days of drinking low-calorie beer 1 Lite year16.5 feet in the Twilight Zone 1 Rod SerlingExplanation: The rod is a unit of length equal to 16.5 feet. Rod Serling is the American tv producer, screenwriter, and narrator responsible for The Twilight Zone.Basic unit of laryngitis - 1 hoarsepowerExplanation: One symptom of laryngitis is hoarseness.Shortest distance between two jokes - a straight lineExplanation: To deliver a joke as a straight line means its a short joke delivered with a straight face (like its not a joke at all).1 million microphones 1 megaphone365.25 days 1 unicycleExplanation: 365.25 days is one year or one cycle of the Earth around the Sun. Its especially clever because unicycle has another meaning. Its a bike with one wheel.Half a large intestine 1 semicolonExplanation: the large intestine is also called the colon. Since its only half a colon, its a semicolon, much like half a circle is a semicircle.2000 mockingbirds two kilomockingbirdsExplanation: To K ill a Mockingbird is a famous novel by author Harper Lee published in 1960. The kilo is the prefix for a thousand. So, 2000 is two kilo. 10 cards 1 decacardExplanation: Deca is the prefix for 10.52 cards 1 deckacardExplanation. There are 52 cards in a deck of playing cards.1,000,000 aches 1 megahurtzExplanation: There are one million (106) hertz in 1 megahertz. This is a play on words, substituting hurtz (like pain, but with a z) for hertz.1 millionth of a fish 1 microficheExplanation: The word microfiche is pronounced like micro-fish. The prefix micro means one millionth.2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale University Hospital 1 I.V. LeagueExplanation: Intravenous tubing is also called IV tubing. Yale is one of the Ivy League school, plus 2.4 statute miles is a length equal to 1 league.1 kilogram of falling figs 1 fig newtonExplanation: The newton is a unit force, which is mass under acceleration (such as youd get from falling figs). This play on words refers to the Nabisco cookie, the fig newton.1000 grams of wet socks 1 literhosenExplanation: Lederhosen are short breeches (not actually so cks). There are 1000 grams of water (more or less) in one liter. The liter is a unit of volume used for liquids, so wet socks are literhosen. 1 trillion pins 1 terrapinExplanation: The prefix terra means a trillion.10 rations 1 decarationExplanation: The prefix deca means 10.100 rations 1 C-rationExplanation: C is the Roman numeral for 100.2 monograms 1 diagramExplanation: Mono is the prefix for one, while dia means two.2 new dimes new paradigmsExplanation: Two dimes is a pair of dimes. A paradigm is a model or pattern. More Science Fun and Humor Looking for more science fun? Check out this collection of molecules with strange names, learn how to make a stink bomb, or trick your friends with disappearing ink.