University of Cebu-Banilad

Banilad, Cebu City

WRITTEN REPORT
(NITROGEN CYCLE)
NAT SC 4

8:30-11:30 SATURDAY

Members:

Alin, Laica

Claro, Rhea

Cogtas, Grace Ann

Gabunada, Engelyn

Rubio, Jennifer Ms. Gilda Salvo

Vidal, Dolly Mae Instructor

Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen gas is composed of diatomic molecules, N2, in which two atoms of nitrogen are bonded
together by a sharing of the three unpaired 2p electrons in atom.

Importance of Nitrogen
The air we inhale is approximately 80% nitrogen, 20% oxygen, and 0.04% CO2. Exhaled air
contains about 80% nitrogen, 16% oxygen and 4% CO2. We use, then, only about 4% of the air
we breathe in; our lungs pump a large amount of inert nitrogen in and out.

Uses of Nitrogen Gas

The greatest use of N2 is in the manufacture of ammonia, NH3 by the Haber process. Large
amounts of N2 are also used, because of its unreactive nature, in the manufacture of electronic
components such as transistors, in missile work as a purge, in the oil industry to form high
pressures underground which result in an increased flow of crude oil, as a shield to prevent
oxidation in the annealing of metals, as a preservative to prevent rancidity in packaged foods.

The Nitrogen Cycle

-the cycle of changes which nitrogen undergoes

We disturb the nitrogen cycle by farming crops.

The crops take nitrogen from the soil as they grow.

Then the farmer harvests the crop. The plants are cut down and taken away.

Therefore, they are never allowed to rot back into soil.

Nitrogen is removed, but not replaced.

Crops are harvested. They don’t have a chance to replace the nitrogen they have take from the
soil by decaying naturally.
Fixing Nitrogen
We have a very cheap supply of nitrogen-the air. But how can we turn it into a form of
that plants can use?

Turning nitrogen from the air into nitrogen compounds that plants can use is called ‘fixing’
nitrogen. Chemists have found a way to ‘fix’ nitrogen.

Fixation of N2 requires a great deal of energy and occurs through atmospheric, industrial, and
biological processes.

1. Atmospheric fixation. Lightning brings about the high- temperature endothermic

reaction of N2 and O2 to form NO, which is then oxidized exothermically to NO2:
lightning

N2 + O2 2NO
2NO + O2 2NO2

Lightning fixes nitrogen by causing it to combine with oxygen, forming first

nitrogen monoxide (NO), commonly called nitric oxide, and the nitrogen dioxide
(NO2).

Nitrogen dioxide reacts with water to form nitric acid (HNO3).

3NO2 + H2O 2HNO3 + NO

 Nitric acid falls in rainwater, adding to the supply of available nitrates in the oceans and
the soil, and acidifying streams and lakes.

2. Industrial fixation. Nitrogen is fixed industrially by combining nitrogen with hydrogen

to form ammonia, a procedure called Haber-Bosch process.

N2 + 3H2 2NH3

This technology has greatly increased our food supply because the availability of fixed nitrogen
is often the limiting factor in the production of food. Not all consequences of this intervention
have been favorable, however; excessive runoff of nitrogen fertilizer has led to serious water
pollution problems in some areas.

3. Biological fixation. Most nitrogen fixation is performed by bacteria in the roots of

legumes (peas, beans, clover, and the like). Certain types of bacteria reduce N2 to
ammonia (NH3). Other bacteria oxidize ammonia to nitrates (NO2-), and still others
oxidize nitrites to nitrates (NO3-). Other plants are then able to take up the nitrates from
the soil. Animals can get their required nitrogen compounds from the plants.

The nitrogen cycle is completed by the action of other types of microbes, which can use
nitrates ions as their oxygen source in the decomposition of organic matter and release N2 gas
back to the atmosphere.