The 7th element in the atomic series is Nitrogen with the chemical symbol N. Though not much talked about, Nitrogen is one of the elements we come in contact with every day. Most people think of air as being oxygen because it is the oxygen in the air that we need to breath and live. However if you got 100 "atoms" of air, 78 of them would be Nitrogen and only 21 oxygen.
So what do scientists know about Nitrogen?. Well at number 7 in the series it has 7 electrons. This means 2 in the inner shell or orbital, 2 in the second s shell and one in each of the 3 p orbitals, so nitrogen looks like this:
Nitrogen, with its 5 electrons in the outer shells has space for 3 more electrons. Because of this Nitrogen atoms are never found on their own. Two Nitrogen atoms join together and each shares the 3 electrons in the p orbitals with the other. Scientists write this as N2. Sharing 3 electrons means they there is a triple bond between the 2 Nitrogen atoms.
So what is Nitrogen like? Well, as we know from air, at room temperature, it is a colourless, tasteless, gas. It has no smell. It is non-metalic. When cooled to -195.8°C it becomes a liquid. This liquid, known as Liquid Nitrogen is often used to cool reactions. When cooled in liquid Nitrogen, bananas become very hard and brittle and can be smashed into pieces if hit by a hammer.
Nitrogen is present in all living things. Plants are about 4% Nitrogen. Humans are about 3% Nitrogen. DNA and proteins are Nitrogen containing compounds. Plants with the help of special bacteria take nitrogen from the air and convert it into fertiliser.
So next time you breathe in, don't forget to give a little thought to this week's element of the week - Nitrogen.
No comments:
Post a Comment