| Nitrogen |
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Physical Properties
Color - Colorless
Odor - Odorless
Density - \(0.00004137 \; lbm/in^3 \; (0.001145 \; g/cc )\)
Molecular Weight - \(28.013 \; g/mol\)
Chemical Properties
Atomic Mass - 14.0067
Atomic Number - 7
Chemical Formula - \(C_3 \; H_8\)
State of Matter - Gas
Flammability - Non Flammable
Critical Pressure - \(25427.1 \; torr \; (33.9000 \; bar)\)
Critical Temperature - \(-232.49 \; F^\circ \; (-146.94 \; C^\circ)\)
Critical Molar Volume - \(5.49 \; in^3/mol \; (90 \; cm^3/mol)\)
Electronegativity - 3.04
Thermal Properties
Melting Point - \(-346 \; F^\circ \; (-210 \; C^\circ)\)
Boiling Point - \(-320.42 \; F^\circ \; (-195.79 \; C^\circ)\)
Autoignition Temp. - \(878 F^\circ \; (470 \; C^\circ)\) to \(1020 F^\circ \; (550 \; C^\circ)\)
PEL - \(5 \; ppm\)
Heat of Fusion - \(10.90 \; BTU/lb \; (25.35 \; J/g)\)
Heat of Vaporization - \(85.54 \; BTU/lb \; (198.8 \; J/g)\)
Specific Heat Capacity - \(0.2483 \; BTU/lbF^\circ \; (1.039 \; J/gC^\circ )\)
Thermal Conductivity - \(0.0680 \; BTUin/hrft^3F^\circ \;\)@\(\; 14.5 \; psi \; -280 \; F^\circ \; (0.00980 \; W/mK \;\)@\(\; 0.100 \; MPa \; -173 \; C^\circ)\)
Optical Properties
Refractive Index - \(1.19876 \;\)@\(\; -321 \; F^\circ \; \lambda \; 578 \; mm \; (1.19876 \;\)@\(\; -196 \; C^\circ \; \lambda \; 578 \; mm)\)
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Nitrogen is a fundamental chemical element with the symbol \(N\) and atomic number 7, making it a nonmetal and the lightest member of Group 15 of the periodic table, often referred to as the pnictogens. At standard temperature and pressure, it exists as a colorless, odorless, and tasteless diatomic gas, \(N_2\), which remarkably constitutes about 78% of Earth's atmosphere, making it the most abundant gas in the air we breathe. Despite its abundance in the atmosphere, the strong triple bond between the two nitrogen atoms in \(N_2\) makes it very unreactive, meaning it's difficult for most organisms and industrial processes to directly utilize atmospheric nitrogen. However, nitrogen is absolutely essential for all life, as it is a key component of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), nucleic acids (DNA and RNA, which carry genetic information), and ATP (the energy currency of cells). Industrially, vast quantities of nitrogen are used to produce ammonia through the Haber-Bosch process, which is then further processed into fertilizers, nitric acid, and various other important chemicals, including explosives and nylon. Liquid nitrogen, with its extremely low boiling point, also serves as a potent cryogenic refrigerant for applications ranging from preserving biological samples and rapidly freezing food to cooling sensitive electronic equipment.
