Group Va The Nitrogen Group

Group VA The Nitrogen Group

Nitrogen • • • • •

Colorless Odorless Tasteless Nonmetal At atmospheric pressure molecular nitrogen condenses (liquifies) at 77 K (−195.8 °C) and freezes at 63 K (−210.0 °C).

• Nitrogen is generally unreactive at standard temperature and pressure. • When nitrogen reacts spontaneously with a reagent, the net transformation is often called nitrogen fixation. • Nitrogen reacts with elemental lithium at STP(Standard conditions for temperature and pressure) .

• Lithium burns in an atmosphere of N2 to give lithium nitride: • 6 Li + N2 → 2 Li3N • Magnesium also burns in nitrogen, forming magnesium nitride. • 3 Mg + N2 → Mg3N2

• Nitrogen is present in all living organisms, in proteins, nucleic acids and other molecules. It typically makes up around 4% of the dry weight of plant matter, and around 3% of the weight of the human body. It is a large component of animal waste , usually in the form of urea, uric acid, ammonium compounds and derivatives of these nitrogenous products.

• To preserve packaged or bulk foods • Inexpensive alternative to argon in ordinary incandescent bulbs • The manufacturing of stainless steel • Use in military aircraft systems to reduce fire hazard • it is used as a means of concentrating and reducing the volume of liquid samples • Substitute of carbon dioxide as main power source for paintball guns

Phosphorus • Due to its high reactivity, phosphorus is never found as a free element in nature on Earth. It is commonly found in inorganic phosphate rocks . Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms - white phosphorus and red phosphorus.

• Its compounds are also widely used in explosives , nerve agents , friction matches, fireworks, pesticides , toothpaste and detergents. • major use :a constituent of fertilizers for agriculture and farm production in the form of concentrated phosphoric acids. • It is an important component in steel production, in the making of phosphor bronze.

• Ordinary phosphorus is a waxy white solid. When pure, it is colourless and transparent. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in carbon disulphide. It catches fire spontaneously in air. When exposed to sunlight, or when heated in its own vapour to 250°C,. This foit is converted to the red variety, it does not ignite spontaneously and it is a little less dangerous than white phosphorus. The red modification is fairly stable.

Arsenic • The element is a steel grey, very brittle, crystalline. It tarnishes in air, and when heated rapidly oxidizes to arsenous oxide which has a garlic odor. • Arsenic and its compounds are poisonous. Upon heating arsenic and some minerals containing arsenic, it sublimes.

• Three metalloidal forms of arsenic, each with a different crystal structure, are found free in nature. However, it is more commonly found as arsenide and in arsenate compounds. • Arsenic and its compounds are used as pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and in various alloys.

Antimony • Antimony is an extremely brittle metal of a flaky, crystalline texture. It is bluish white and has a metallic luster. It is not acted on by air at room temperature, but burns brilliantly when heated with the formation of white fumes. It is a poor conductor of heat and electricity. • Antimony and its compounds are toxic. It is found mostly with other minerals and in stibnite.

Batteries antifriction alloys small arms, buckshot, and tracer ammunition cable sheathing matches medicines, antiprotozoan drugs plumbing main and big-end bearings in internal combustion engines (as alloy) • used in the past to treat Schistosomiasis; today Praziquantel is universally used • used in type metal, e.g. for linotype printing machines • used in pewter • • • • • • • •

• is a white, crystalline, brittle metal with a pinkish tinge. Bismuth is the most diamagnetic of all metals, and the thermal conductivity is lower than any metal, except mercury. It has a high electrical resistance, and has the highest Hall effect of any metal . • Bismuth compounds are used in cosmetics , medicines, and in medical procedures. • It is usually produced as a byproduct of the processing of other metal ores, especially lead , tungsten, tin copper and silver or other metallic elements.