Topic 5 - Group 5, nitrogen

NITROGEN

• Nitrogen comprises about 79% of air by volume.
• It is extracted from the air by fractional distillation of liquefied air. 
• Nitrogen is a colourless gas. It has no taste or smell. It does not burn, nor does it support combustion or respiration. At the very high temperatures in power station furnaces, a small amount of atmospheric nitrogen reacts with oxygen.
• Nitrogen is diatomic. 
• Nitrogen has three important oxides:
  • NO2 - nitrogen dioxide
  • NO - nitrogen monoxide or nitric oxide
  • N2O - nitrous oxide or dinitrogen monoxide.
• It is used in the food industry to fill crisp packets and to help the food remain in good condition. 

NITROGEN…