Nitrogen is one of the most common elements on Earth - in the atmosphere of the content exceeds 78%.The existence of such a large amount of nitrogen in said free state of its inertness and difficult interaction with other elements during normal conditions.
In the bound state is a substance found in organic and inorganic matter.Associated with the carbon and oxygen, the nitrogen is in proteins of plants and animals.
itself the name "nitrogen" coined by Lavoisier, who in the course of numerous experiments established the presence in the atmosphere of some inert substance.Scientist found this substance lifeless - Greek «azote».
nitrogen cycle
Despite the inert nitrogen in nature, there are constant processes of its fixation or binding.For example, in the roots of leguminous plants accumulate special bacteria that fix nitrogen, processing it into nitrates.
In the atmosphere, this gas is oxidized during the discharge of lightning.Then, oxides of nitrogen dissolved in the sediments, forming nitric and nitrous acid.With the snow, rain, fog nitrogen into the soil, where it converts to nitrite or nitrate.The various plants use them to build protein.Animals eat plants and vegetable protein is processed into animal.At decomposition of plant and animal death, after all nitrogen compounds in their bodies are converted into ammonia.The bacteria destroy it to the simplest elements, while stressing the re-pure nitrogen and hydrogen.This happens nitrogen cycle or the nitrogen cycle in nature.
Chemical properties of nitrogen
its basic properties under normal conditions - is inertia, ieMinimal reactivity.The nitrogen atom can form a bond to another nitrogen atom, which is quite unusual for chemical elements (with the exception of only silicon and carbon).
When heated, the element reacts with most metals.In this form ionic or covalent intermediate nitride with a negatively charged ion nitrogen.
in reaction with hydrogen, nitrogen forms a fairly stable compounds - azotovodorody that vaguely resemble the hydrocarbons.Examples of these substances include ammonia, hydrazine and hydrazoic acid.
preparation and the use of nitrogen compounds
this substance plays an important role in industry and agriculture.A method of producing nitrogen in the form of a chemical element is dependent on the desired degree of purity.Most nitrogen needed for ammonia production, but it may be a minor content of noble gases.
Preparation of nitrogen from the atmosphere
This is one of the most efficient ways in which clean air is successively liquefied by cooling and expansion.The resulting liquid air fraction distilled over slowly raising the temperature.When this process is first allocated noble gases, and then nitrogen.It only remains liquid oxygen.
like getting a lot of nitrogen makes it possible to produce millions of tons of the substance each year.Nitrogen is used mainly for the subsequent production of ammonia which in turn, acts as a feedstock for industrial and agricultural nitrogen compounds.
Pure nitrogen atmosphere can also be used when necessary to a complete lack of oxygen.
Nitrogen laboratory
Small amounts of this gas is produced by oxidizing ammonium ions or ammonia.In particular, the ammonium ion may be oxidized to nitrite ion.
Nitrogen in the process of decomposition
When heated decompose azides, ammonia copper oxide decomposes, nitrites are decomposed by reaction with urea or sulfamic acid - as a result of all these reactions, a nitrogen.
