Nitrogen gas (N2) is the largest constituent of the Earth’s atmosphere (78.082% by volume of dry air, 75.3% by weight in dry air).
There exist uncommon nitrogen minerals, such as:
Saltpeter (Potassium Nitrate)
Chile Salt-Peter (Sodium Nitrate)
Sal Ammoniac (Ammonium Chloride)
Nitrogen is present in all known living organisms, in proteins, nucleic acids, and other molecules.
It is a large component of animal waste.
It is a transparent, odorless diatomic gas.
Many industrially important compounds, such as ammonia, nitric acid, organic nitrates (propellants and explosives), and cyanides, contain nitrogen.
Nitrogen is a constituent of molecules in every major pharmacological drug class, including antibiotics.
At atmospheric pressure, molecular nitrogen condenses (liquefies) at 77K (-195.79°C) and freezes at 63K (-210.01°C), and turns to gas at -190°C.
Liquid nitrogen, a fluid resembling water in appearance, but with 80.8% of the density is a common cryogen. It boils at -195.80°C.
Molecular Nitrogen (N2-14) – is largely transparent to infrared and visible radiation because it is a mononuclear molecule and, thus, has no dipole moment to couple to electromagnetic radiation at these wavelengths.
Nitrogen gas also exhibits scintillation.
In general, nitrogen is unreactive at standard temperature and pressure. N2 reacts spontaneously with few reagents, being resilient to acids and bases as well as oxidants and most reductants.
When nitrogen reacts spontaneously with a reagent, the net transformation is often called nitrogen fixation.
