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What the name
means: It was probably the French
chemist, Jean-Antoine Chaptal, who gave
nitrogen its name in 1823. The name derives
from the Latin word nitrogenium.
This Latin word was compiled from two Greek
words, nitrum (native soda) and
genes (making).
Who
identified
nitrogen? During the late 18th
century there were quite a few famous
chemists studying the properties of the
air. The identification of nitrogen gas is
attributed to Daniel Rutherford who, in
1772, isolated nitrogen gas from a sample
of air. The French chemist, Antoine
Lavoisier, did the same experiment and
called the gas he extracted from the air
azote. This is a Greek word meaning
“lifeless”.
About nitrogen:
Nitrogen gas is formed from
molecules of nitrogen. Each molecule of
nitrogen is made from two atoms of nitrogen
chemically joined together. This makes
nitrogen gas a diatomic gas. Nitrogen gas
makes up about 79% of the air. The element
nitrogen is found in many organic compounds
(complex compounds found in living things).
It is also part of chemicals called
nitrates. Nitrogen gas and nitrates are
important in the nitrogen cycle. The
nitrogen cycle is essential for life on
Earth. Manufactured fertilizers are mostly
compounds containing nitrogen. |
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