Monday 4 March 2024

CIE – Topic 13 Nitrogen and

Sulfur

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 Monday 4 March 2024

The Chemistry of Nitrogen

Nitrogen naturally exists as a diatomic molecule
Nitrogen is in group 5 and has the
electron configuration of 1s2 2s2 2p3 3 pairs of electrons are
Nitrogen forms a shared in a triple bond
covalent triple bond to
form a diatomic
molecule.

X
This triple covalent bond is X
N •X•X N •
very difficult to break and X • •
so Nitrogen is an unreactive
gas at room temperature
and pressure.
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Monday 4 March 2024 C Harris - Allery Chemistry
 Monday 4 March 2024

Common Nitrogen Molecules

Nitrogen reacts with hydrogen to form ammonia and ammonium ions
Dative Covalent or Coordinate Bonds are where ONE atom
Ammonia has the formula NH3 and is donates 2 electrons to an atom or ion to form a bond.
An arrow
made through the reaction of N2 and H2 in
H+
represents
a reaction called the Haber process. a
Ammonia shares 3 of its
valence electrons with coordinate
Because of the lone pair of electrons bond.
ammonia can form hydrogen bonds
with water and so it is very soluble.
hydrogen and a lone pair
of electrons remains. ••
In addition ammonia can also form The lone pair also H •X N •X H
dative covalent bonds using its lone means ammonia
acts as a base. It
•X
pair of electrons. Very useful as it can
act as a ligand forming complex ions accepts protons H H +
(H+) to form This is a dative
with transition metals (see developing covalent bond as both
ammonium ion
metals topic)
(NH4+). electrons in Nitrogen H N H
are donated to H+ ion.
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 Monday 4 March 2024

Common Nitrogen Molecules

Ammonia can be displaced from its own salts
The extra proton in ammonium salts Testing for Ammonium Compounds
is lost easily and so they react readily
with bases to liberate ammonia (NH3) Add sodium
hydroxide (NaOH),
Here ammonium sulfate reacts gently heat, and if
with a base calcium hydroxide ammonium
compound present
Ca(OH)2 to liberate ammonia.
ammonia gas will
be produced.

(NH4)2SO4(s) + Ca(OH)2(s)  CaSO4(s) + 2NH3(g) + 2H2O(l) Use damp red

litmus. Ammonia
NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq)  NH3(g) + H2O(l) will dissolve in the
This reaction is also a water and turn
test for ammonia litmus blue.
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 Monday 4 March 2024

Uses of ammonia and its compounds

We need to know the uses of ammonia and the manufacture of nitric acid.

NH3 HNO3
Nitric acid (HNO3) is initially
NH3 + 5O2  4NO + 6H2O
Ammonia is vital as it is used in the made by reacting ammonia
agricultural industry as a fertiliser. with oxygen to form nitrogen
It is made via the Haber process as monoxide (NO)
seen in topic 7 and 8. Then the NO reacts with more 2NO + O2 ⇌ 2NO2
oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide
Common fertilisers are (NO2)
ammonium nitrate, 2NO2 ⇌ N2O4
The NO2 exists in equilibrium
ammonium phosphate and
with N2O4 which, when
urea. 3N2O4 + 2H2O  4HNO3
dissolved in water, makes HNO3
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Monday 4 March 2024 C Harris - Allery Chemistry
 Monday 4 March 2024

Environmental Effect of Nitrates

Nitrates are commonly found in fertilisers however if used incorrectly they
can lead to environmental issues.
Ammonia based fertilisers like NH4NO3 are useful to help crops in a field grow

However if too much is used

on the field we get some of it
leaching into rivers and lakes.
This causes 2 main problems –
1. Nitrates in the water can affect
babies under 6 months. It reduces the
ability to carry the right amount of
oxygen in the blood. The condition is
called blue baby syndrome.
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2. The excess fertiliser promotes growth of
aquatic plant matter leading to higher than
normal levels of vegetation. When these die
they decompose and reduce the oxygen level in
the water. This means aquatic animals like fish
struggle to survive. We call this eutrophication.
 Monday 4 March 2024

Nitrates within vehicles

Nitrates such as nitrogen
monoxide (NO) are formed in
cars. They are made by reacting
nitrogen and oxygen (both
found in air) together using an
electrical spark. This spark
comes from the spark plugs in
the car which ignites the fuel.
NO in the atmosphere is harmful so cars are fitted with
catalytic converters which reacts carbon monoxide (CO -
which is produced from the incomplete combustion of the
fuel) and nitrogen monoxide (NO).
Catalytic converters in cars reduce levels of
pollution. They are made from a rhodium,
platinum and palladium alloy
The reaction is – 2CO + 2NO  2CO2 + N2

N2(g) + O2(g)  2NO(g) Catalytic Converter in

a car

Ballista
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 Monday 4 March 2024

Environmental effect of nitrates

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) acts as a catalyst in the formation of sulfuric acid
(H2SO4) which is the main cause of acid rain!
This is a bit of a long process but it all Then the NO2 is reformed (a key for a
starts with nitrogen monoxide (NO) catalyst) in a second reaction via oxidation.
NO(g) + ½ O2(g)  NO2(g)
NO reacts with oxygen to produce nitrogen
dioxide (NO2) which acts as a catalyst.
NO(g) + ½ O2(g)  NO2(g)
The SO3 produced in step 1
The main component of acid rain is sulfuric acid reacts with water to form
(H2SO4). It starts by NO2 catalysing the reaction sulfuric acid
converting sulfur dioxide (SO2) into sulfur trioxide (SO3) SO3(g) + H2O(l)  H2SO4(aq)
SO2(g) + NO2(g)  SO3(g) + NO(g)
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 Monday 4 March 2024

Photochemical Smog
Unburnt hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen contribute to photochemical
smog at lower levels
Ozone occurs in the lowest level of the atmosphere – the
troposphere.
This exists as sunlight, hydrocarbons and nitrogen dioxide
mix to form ozone.
A great deal of hydrocarbons and nitrogen dioxide come from
cars and factories.

Photochemical smog
harms the respiratory system in animals and
damages plants. When solid carbon particulates and ozone
Ozone mix we create photochemical smog. This
is also TOXIC to humans too. picture shows photochemical smog was
taken in Shanghai, China.
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 Monday 4 March 2024

Acid Rain
Burning fossil fuels can release sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen which
contribute to acid rain
Some fossil fuels contain
sulfur based impurities.
When burned the sulfur
reacts with oxygen
producing sulfur dioxide
(SO2).
Sulfur dioxide is an acidic
gas. It reacts with water in
the atmosphere to form
sulfuric acid which falls as
acid rain. Nitrogen oxides do
the same too.

Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) Oxides of nitrogen

Acid rain causes damage to plants, kills fish
and causes erosion of buildings.
Source –All pictures - Pixabay
These are produced when
nitrogen and oxygen (from the
air) are heated in the engine
and react.
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dissolve in water in the
atmosphere to form nitric
acid which contributes to
acid acid rain.
Monday 4 March 2024 C Harris - Allery Chemistry
 Monday 4 March 2024

Reducing the levels of SO2 and NOx

Acidic gases can be neutralised

Removing SO2 from flue gases

A process called wet
scrubbing is a method
whereby an alkali is used to
neutralise sulphur dioxide in
flue gases.
Wet scrubbing involves
dissolving calcium
carbonate or oxide in
water and spraying on
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acidic sulphur dioxide gas.
Source –All pictures - Pixabay
Monday 4 March 2024 C Harris - Allery Chemistry
 Monday 4 March 2024

CIE – Topic 13 Nitrogen and Sulfur

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