Wednesday, September 21, 2016

is nitrogen , an inert gas ?

The chemistry defines inert as little or no ability to react . But to say nitrogen as an inert gas , the answer is both Yes and No .


Nitrogen can be made to react . We often hear about nitrogen fixation by bacteria in soil using nitrogen gas of atmosphere. It enhances the fertility of soil by forming various nitrogen compounds . In this sense , nitrogen is not an inert gas .




Nitrogen as a gas is present in atmosphere under the formula N2 . There is a triple bond between the two atoms of N . This bond is very difficult to break as we need extreme conditions . So in this sense , it is an inert gas .












The answer depends on our perspective . 

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