Nitrogen in Periodic Table (original) (raw)

Nitrogen, symbol N, chemical formula N is colourless, odourless, tasteless, nonmetallic gas, and essential constituent of the living matter or group-15 periodic table element in chemistry. It is a most plentiful substance (78 percent by volume and 75 percent by weight) in the earth atmosphere as dinitrogen gas (N) but the abundance of nitrogen in rocks and soils of the earth environment is remarkably low (about 19 ppm) comparable to gallium (Ga), niobium (Nb) and lithium (Li). Only nitrogenous minerals like KNO (saltpeter) and NaNO (Chile saltpeter) are isolated via nitric acid by the action of nitrifying or fixation bacteria. Carl Wilhelm Scheele and Henry Cavendish had independently discovered and isolated nitrogen but the credit of discovery given to Scottish physician Daniel Rutherford in 1772. Rutherford has given this credit because his work was published first in a science journal. The name nitrogen was given by French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal in 1790 because it was found in nitric acid and nitrate compounds. Major deposits of nitrate occur in Bolivia, Italy, Spain, Russia, and some regions of India. The major human interference occurs through artificial fixation for the manufacture of fertilizers to meet the increasing demand for food for the growing human family. 2 2 3 3