Nitrous Oxide

#REDIRECT nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide

General

Name	Dinitrogen oxide
Chemical formula	Nitrogen₂Oxygen
color	Colorless gas
Physical
Atomic weight	44.0 unified atomic mass unit
Melting point	182 kelvin (-91 celsius)
Boiling point	185 kelvin (-88 celsius)
Critical temperature	309.6 K (36.4 °C)
Critical pressure	7.245 megapascal
Density	1.2 g/cm³ (liquid)
Solubility	0.112 gram in 100g water
Thermochemistry
Standard enthalpy change of formation	82.05 joule/mole (unit)
Standard enthalpy change of formation	? kJ/mol
Standard enthalpy change of formation	? kJ/mol
Standard molar entropy	219.96 J/(mol·K)
Standard molar entropy	? J/(mol·K)
Standard molar entropy	? J/(mol·K)
Safety
Inhalation	See main text. May cause asphyxiation without warning.
Skin	Hazardous when cryogenic or compressed.
Eyes	Hazardous when cryogenic or compressed.
More info	[http://ull.chemistry.uakron.edu/erd/chemicals/21/20556.html Hazardous Chemical Database]
SI units were used where possible. Unless otherwise stated, Standard temperature and pressure conditions were used. Inorganic table information

Nitrous oxide, also known as dinitrogen oxide or dinitrogen monoxide, is a chemical compound with chemical formula Nitrogen₂Oxygen. Under room conditions it is a colourless non-flammable gas, with a pleasant slightly sweet odor. It is commonly known as laughing gas due to the exhilarating effects of inhaling it, and because it can cause spontaneous laughter in some users. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anaesthetic and analgesic effects. Nitrous oxide is present in the atmosphere where it acts as a powerful greenhouse gas. Nitrous oxide is also known as whippets. == Chemistry == The structure of the nitrous oxide molecule is a linear chain of a nitrogen atom bound to a second nitrogen, which in turn is bound to an oxygen atom. It can be considered a resonance hybrid of :

\mbox{N} \equiv \mbox{N}^+ - \mbox{O}^-

and

\mbox{N}^-= \mbox{N}^+= \mbox{O}\;

Nitrous oxide N₂O should not be confused with the other nitrogen oxides such as nitric oxide NO and nitrogen dioxide NO₂. Nitrous oxide can be used to produce nitrites by mixing it with boiling alkali metals, and to oxidize organic compounds at high temperatures. The CAS number of nitrous oxide is 10024-97-2 and its UN number is 1070. == History == The gas was discovered by Joseph Priestley in 1772. Humphry Davy in the 1790s tested the gas on himself and some of his friends, including the poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey. They soon realised that nitrous oxide considerably dulled the sensation of pain, even if the inhaler were still semi-conscious, and so it came into use as an anaesthetic, particularly by dentists, who do not typically have access to the services of an anesthesologist and who may benefit from a patient who can respond to verbal commands. == Uses == === Inhalant effects — laughing gas === Nitrous oxide is a dissociative which can cause (by some accounts) euphoria, dizziness, flanging of sound, and, in some cases, slight hallucinations and mild aphrodisiac effect. It can also result in mild nausea or lingering dizziness if too much is inhaled in too short a time. The anaesthetic function of nitrous oxide is not completely understood, but it is thought that the gas interacts with the plasma membranes of nerve cells in the brain and thus affects the communication among such cells at their synapses. During the 19th century, William James and many contemporaries found that inhalation of nitrous oxide resulted in a powerful spiritual/mystical experience for the breather. James claimed to experience the fusing of dichotomies into a unity and a revelation of ultimate truth during the inhalation of nitrous oxide. Memory of this experience, however, quickly faded and any attempt to communicate it was difficult at best. The drug currently enjoys moderate popularity in the American psychedelic community. It was often sold at Grateful Dead and Phish concerts, and due to its short duration of effects and consequent potential for repeated use, it has come to be known colloquially as "hippie crack". Recreational users obtain it either from whipped cream chargers or medical-grade tanks. The recreational use of nitrous oxide is restricted in many districts. In California, for instance, inhalation of nitrous oxide "for the purpose of causing euphoria, or for the purpose of changing in any manner, one’s mental processes," is a criminal offense. (See, [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen/369a-402c.html Cal. Pen. Code, Sec. 381b].) Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics, a nonprofit law and policy center in the United States, contends that such laws are unconstitional "prior restraints on speech" and constitute "cognitive censorship." Since nitrous oxide can cause dizziness, dissociation, and temporary loss of motor control, it is unsafe to inhale while standing up. Inhalation of nitrous oxide directly from a whipped cream charger or a tank poses serious health risks, as it can cause the lungs to collapse from high levels of pressure, forcing air into the chest cavity, and can cause frostbite since the gas is very cold when released. For those reasons, most recreational nitrous oxide users will discharge the gas into a balloon before inhaling. While the pure gas itself is not toxic, death can result if it is inhaled in such a way that not enough oxygen is breathed in. Long-term use in large quantities has been associated with dangerous symptoms similar to vitamin B12 deficiency: anemia, neuropathy, tinnitus, and numbness in extremities. It can be habit-forming, mainly because of its short-lived effect (fewer than 60 seconds in recreational doses) and ease of access. Inhaling industrial-grade nitrous oxide is also dangerous, as it contains many impurities and is not intended for use on humans. Finally, nitrous oxide should not be confused with nitric oxide, a poisonous gas. A 50/50 mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen (''"gas and air"'', supplied under the trade name Entonox) is commonly used as a mild analgesic and anaesthetic in medicine, particularly during childbirth, for dental procedures, and in emergency medicine. === Aerosol propellant === The gas is licensed for use as a food additive, specifically as an aerosol spray#Propellant. Its most common uses in this context are in aerosol whipped cream canisters and as an inert gas used to displace staleness-inducing oxygen when filling packages of potato chips and other similar snack foods. The gas is excellently soluble in fatty compounds. In aerosol whipped cream, it is dissolved in the fatty cream until it leaves the can, when it becomes gaseous and thus creates foam. === Rocket motors === Nitrous oxide can be used as an oxidiser in a rocket engine. This has the advantages over other oxidisers that it is non-toxic and, due to its stability at room temperature, easy to store and relatively safe to carry on a flight. Nitrous oxide has notably been the oxidiser of choice in several hybrid rocket designs (using solid fuel with a liquid or gaseous oxidiser). The combination of nitrous oxide with hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene fuel has been used by SpaceShipOne and others. === Internal Combustion Engine === In car racing, nitrous oxide (often just "nitrous" or "nitro" in this context) is sometimes injected into the intake manifold (or just prior to the intake manifold) to increase power: even though the gas itself is not flammable, it delivers more oxygen than atmospheric air by breaking down at elevated temperatures, thus allowing the engine to burn more fuel and air. Additionally, since nitrous oxide is stored as a liquid, the evaporation of liquid nitrous oxide in the intake manifold causes a large drop in intake charge temperature. This results in a smaller, denser charge, and can reduce detonation, as well as increase power available to the engine. The same technique was used during World War II to boost the power of aircraft engines, particularly by the Luftwaffe which had less access to gasoline with higher octane ratings than did the Royal Air Force and United States Air Force. One of the major problems of using nitrous oxide in a reciprocating engine is that it can produce enough power to destroy the engine. Power increases of 100-300% are possible, and unless the mechanical structure of the engine is reinforced, most engines would not survive this kind of operation. It is very important with nitrous oxide augmentation of internal combustion engines to maintain temperatures and fuel levels so as to prevent ''preignition'', or ''detonation'' (sometimes referred to as ''knocking'', ''pinging'' or ''pinking''). == Nitrous oxide in the atmosphere == Nitrogen oxide, nitrous oxide included, are greenhouse gases; nitrous oxide has 270 times the effect of carbon dioxide for producing global warming. Therefore, nitrogen oxides are a subject of efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, such as the Kyoto Protocol. Nitrous oxide is naturally emitted from soils and oceans. Human activity contributes to the release of the gas through the cultivation of soil and the use of nitrogen fertilizers, the production of nylon, and the burning of fossil fuels and other organic matter. == ''Laughing Gas'' in fiction == *''Laughing Gas (movie)'' *''Laughing Gas (novel)'' ==External links == *[http://www.dentalfearcentral.com/laughing_gas.html The Use of Nitrous Oxide in Dentistry] *[http://www.torquecars.co.uk/Tuning/NOS-Nitrous.php The automotive application of Nitrous Oxide] *[http://www.emory.edu/EDUCATION/mfp/jnitrous.html "Subjective Effects of Nitrous Oxide" by William James] Oxides Nitrogen compounds Anesthetics Dissociatives Greenhouse gases Aerosol propellants Schedule VI controlled substances Nitrogen metabolism

Nitrous oxide

== Bonding in nitrous oxide == How am I to picture the structure of this molecule? Oxygen wants to acquire two electrons, and nitrogen wants to acquire three or to shed five. So how to they come to an agreement? User:AxelBoldt 16:27 Nov 25, 2002 (UTC) this is just a guess, but I'd say this: The one O bonds to both N, so it's happy :-). The angle between two bonds from O is about 120 deg (I think -- check the article on oxygen); that puts the two N close enough to form a double covalent bond between them. So each N has three bonds: one to O and a double to the other N. All present and correct. -- User:Tarquin 17:51 Nov 25, 2002 (UTC) Yup, makes sense. I hope nature is smart enough to have figured that one out in the same way that you did :-) Actually, http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/n2o/n2ov.htm claims that the the three molecules are chained, with the first N double bounded to the second which in turn is double bounded to the oxygen. User:AxelBoldt 16:23 Nov 26, 2002 (UTC) As the image shows, there's a dissociated electron which flits around the molecule meaning the molecule is constantly polarised. -- User:ThomasWinwood 14:25, 16 Dec 2004 (UTC) Nitrous oxide is a linear molecule, NNO. Yes, the bonding is difficult to describe with simpler models, although the two canonical forms shown in the article give an idea. There is no "dissociated electron"—nitrous oxide has an even number electrons (30 to be precise)—but there is a delocalised electron pair which "belongs" to all three atoms. User:Physchim62 15:13, 27 May 2005 (UTC) == Nomenclature of article title == I will probably move this page to Dinitrogen Oxide as that is its name. Nitrous oxide is just a comman name(make a redirect). If any has any reasons as to why I shouldn't speak up. -- User:Tardigrade 17:43, 9 May 2005 (UTC) :Object. Nobody uses "dinitrogen oxide", even if you fix your proposed improper capitalization. Google: nearly 1000:1 nitrous oxide. Over 5000:1 if you throw out those which use both. User:Gene Nygaard 18:22, 9 May 2005 (UTC) :Capitalization aside, dintiroGeN oxide is the "proper" name and as an encylopedia it should be acurate. Note that the article already says "name: Dinitrogen oxide". Is there a standard for nomenclature we should adhere to? User:Tardigrade 00:59, 10 May 2005 (UTC)cont. for example Baking soda redirects to Sodium bicarbonate. :Double strong object!! :#The proposed article title is contrary to Wikipedia:Naming conventions (chemistry). :#Dinitrogen oxide is ambiguous as a name. IUPAC name will provide you with dinitrogen monoxide or nitrogen(I) oxide—note that IUPAC is ''not'' a unique naming system—and these synonyms should probably be referred to in the article. ::User:Physchim62 15:13, 27 May 2005 (UTC) object. Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Chemicals#Familiar_names_vs._IUPAC_names which do state that the common name should be used as the ''name'' of the article. --User:Heah User_talk:Heah 17:19, 27 May 2005 (UTC) == Broken link == Don't know how to fix it but...the "Hazardous Chemical Database" link in the table under safety is broken. User:Poseidon^3 01:50, 24 May 2005 (UTC) *Fixed now. User:Physchim62 18:51, 27 May 2005 (UTC)

See other meanings of words starting from letter:

N

NA | NB | NC | ND | NE | NF | NG | NH | NI | NJ | NK | NL | NM | NO | NP | NR | NS | NT | NU | NW | NX | NY | NZ |

Words begining with Nitrous_oxide:

Nitrous_Oxide
Nitrous_oxide
Nitrous_oxide