Nitrogen is a vital gas element found in the air. Despite its common presence, many people have limited knowledge about it. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of nitrogen, including essential facts you need to know about its composition, color, mass, and density.
Definition: What is Nitrogen Gas
At room temperature and normal pressure, nitrogen is a colorless, odorless gas and a simple substance formed by nitrogen elements. It makes up 78% of the air, making it the most abundant gas in the atmosphere. Because of this, we have an unlimited supply of nitrogen.
Physical Properties of Nitrogen Gas
Color:
Do you know the color of nitrogen gas? Look at the air around us; it’s colorless, right? Nitrogen is a colorless gas, always present around us, yet invisible.
Mass:
A nitrogen molecule consists of two nitrogen atoms. To determine its mass, consider the combined mass of these two atoms. In the International System of Units (SI), the atomic mass of a nitrogen atom is 14.007 u (atomic mass units). Therefore, the mass of a nitrogen molecule is 28.01 u, equivalent to 28.01 g.
Molar Mass:
The unit for the amount of substance is the mole (mol). The molar mass of nitrogen, which is the mass of a substance divided by the amount of substance, is 28.01 g/mol.
Density of Nitrogen Gas:
Gas density typically refers to the density of the gas at standard temperature (273.15K). It depends on the molecular weight of the gas, temperature, and pressure. Given nitrogen’s molecular weight of 28.01 g/mol, we use the ideal gas law PV=nRT (where P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles, R is the gas constant, and T is temperature) and the formula for density, density = mass/volume. At standard conditions (pressure = 1 atm, volume of 1 mole of gas = 22.4 L, temperature = 273.15K), the density of nitrogen is calculated as:
density=22.4L/mol28.01g/mol=1.25g/L
This means the density of nitrogen at standard temperature is 1.25 g/L or 1.25 kg/m³.
Pressure:
Using the ideal gas law, we can determine that at standard room temperature (25°C), the pressure of nitrogen gas is 101.325 kPa.
Temperature:
What is the temperature of nitrogen gas? The state of nitrogen changes with temperature. At room temperature, nitrogen gas is at 25°C. When cooled to -196°C, it becomes a liquid (liquid nitrogen). At -209°C, liquid nitrogen solidifies into a snow-like solid. Whether nitrogen is in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state depends entirely on its current temperature.
Chemical Properties of Nitrogen Gas
Nitrogen is an inert gas that generally does not react with other substances, making it commonly used as a preservative.
Chemical Symbol
N₂
Specific Conditions
Under certain conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, or electrical discharge, nitrogen can react with some elements or compounds.
- Reaction with Hydrogen: At high temperatures, nitrogen reacts with hydrogen to produce ammonia (NH₃).
- Reaction with Oxygen: Under electrical discharge or high temperature, nitrogen reacts with oxygen to produce nitric oxide (NO).
- Reaction with Magnesium: Nitrogen reacts with magnesium when ignited to form magnesium nitride.
- Reaction with Reactive Metals: Nitrogen also reacts with certain reactive metals like calcium, magnesium, strontium, and barium when heated.
Summary
In summary, we have explored the physical and chemical properties of nitrogen to understand what initrogen gas is. For more information about nitrogen, you can refer to the “Ultimate Guide to Nitrogen Generators.“
