Key points
Nitrogen is an A pure substance which is made from only one type of atom. Elements are listed on the periodic table.. It's a One of the three states of matter. Gases, like oxygen or helium, do not have a fixed shape and can expand to fill their container. at room temperature.
Nitrogen makes up about 78% of the Earth's atmosphere.
Liquid nitrogen is very cold, so it is often used to freeze food.
What is nitrogen?
A short video explaining where nitrogen can be found and used.
Most of the air we breathe is nitrogen, not oxygen.
Nitrogen in, nitrogen out.
Nitrogen is inert, which means it doesn’t react with anything in our bodies.
Nitrogen gas is used in food packaging to keep food fresh.
Stale crisps are caused by tiny bacteria which, like us, need oxygen to live.
Pumping the bags full of inert nitrogen gas means there’s no oxygen for the bacteria to survive, keeping the crisps fresher for longer.
How is nitrogen used?
Nitrogen has just one type of The smallest particle of an element. We often think of atoms as tiny spheres, but in fact they are made from smaller particles called protons, neutrons and electrons., so it is an element. It's found naturally as a Two or more atoms which are strongly bonded together. The smallest particle of a substance that has all of the physical and chemical properties of that substance., each containing two nitrogen atoms. This gives it a chemical formula of N₂. Nitrogen has a low The highest temperature at which a substance can exist as a solid. For solid water (ice), the melting point is 0 °C. and The highest temperature at which a substance can exist as a liquid. Evaporation happens rapidly when a liquid reaches boiling point. and is a gas at room temperature.
The Earth’s The atmosphere is the layer of gases surrounding a planet. is made up of 78% nitrogen. The next most common gas is oxygen, at 21%. Nitrogen isn't very reactive, but it can react with oxygen at high temperatures, such as in car engines. These reactions make nitrogen oxides.
The boiling point of nitrogen is −196 °C, so liquid nitrogen is very cold indeed. This means liquid nitrogen is ideal for freezing food, such as vegetables, very quickly, allowing them to stay fresher for longer.
A rotating model of a nitrogen molecule.
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