Periodic Table Detail Reference

Nitrogen

Atomic Symbol	Atomic Number	Atomic Weight	Melting Point	Boiling Point
N	7	14.0067	*(-210.01 C)**	*(-195.79 C)**

Crystal Structure	Natural State	*Density @ 0 C & 1 atm**
Hexagonal	Gas	1.25046 g/l

Description:

An inert, stable gas that constitutes about 75.5% by weight, or 78.06% by volume of the Earth's atmosphere, and air that we breath every day. Found frequently in volcanic, and mine gases. An essential element found in all living things. Nitrogen is part of a complex cycle called the nitrogen cycle. This cycle uses plants, animals, water, air, soil, and bacteria to use, and re-use nitrogen over, and over again in the life cycles of the plants and animals involved.

Properties:

In ambient temperatures, Nitrogen remains a colorless, odorless gas. Condenses to a liquid with a boiling point of (-195.79 C). Solidifies to a snow-like mass with a melting point of (-210.01 C). Combines with hydrogen and oxygen on sparking, forming nitric oxide and ammonia. Directly combines with lithium. At red heat, combines with strontium, calcium and barium to form nitrides. When heated with carbon and alkalies, will form cyanides. Nitrogen in itself is inert, but some of its compounds can be highly reactive, such as sodium azide, sodium nitrate, lead nitrate, ammonium nitrate, etc......

Synthetic Manufacturing:

One of the earliest known methods of manufacturing nitrogen was to burn a combustable in a sealed container containing air. This removes the oxygen from the container leaving the nitrogen. This was a crude system that left other trace gases in the container.Today, nitrogen is manufactured in large quantities by fractional distillation. This process entails compressing regular air to pressures that turn the gases into liquids. These liquids have different boiling points. Liquid nitrogen boils off at its lower boiling point, and can be removed, leaving the liquid oxygen intact in the process. Pure nitrogen can be obtained chemically by heating sodium azide in a vacuum. This process separates the sodium and the nitrogen.

Uses:

To provide an inert atmosphere to keep combustables from igniting. To preserve laboratory speciments. In producing other nitrated chemical compounds. To kill fungal growths, such as warts. To provide a cooling source for commercial industry. For testing materials under extreme conditions, such as metal alloys and aircraft glass. In the production of agricultural fertilizers. To purge dangerous chemicals and air from commercial processing plants. To freeze and freeze dry foods.

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