Overview
Nitrogen is a diatomic, inert gas making up about 78% of Earths atmosphere and is central to biological and industrial cycles.
Properties
It is colorless, odorless and relatively inert at ambient conditions but forms reactive compounds under activation.
Occurrence and Uses
Nitrogen is used to produce ammonia for fertilizers, as an inert atmosphere in manufacturing and in cryogenics as liquid nitrogen.
Isotopes and Safety
Stable N 14 and N 15 exist; nitrogen asphyxiation is a hazard in confined spaces when oxygen is displaced by inert gas.