Page 157 - The Periodic Table Book

Uses This lander used
12 hydrazine-powered
thrusters to land on Mars.
Trinitrotoluene (TNT)
does not explode below
Phoenix Mars Lander
240°C (464°F).

TNT The Nitrogen Group

Nitroglycerine
can be used Motorcycles use These nitrogen-based azo dyes
to treat heart nitromethane to fuel are often used to colour textiles.
conditions. their powerful engines.

Textile dye

Nitroglycerine spray
Drag bike
Superstrong glues contain small
nitrogen compounds that link together.
NITROGEN CYCLE

Nitrogen is essential for life. The nitrogen cycle is a process
that constantly recycles nitrogen between Earth’s atmopshere
and all living things.
Super glue
These fertilizers contain compounds called
1. Lightning turns nitrogen ammonium nitrates that promote growth in plants.
in the air into nitrogen
compounds, which dissolve 5. Bacteria break apart
in rainwater and fall nitrogen compounds in
to the ground.
the soil, returning pure
nitrogen into the air.

2. Bacteria in the soil 3. Animals take in 4. Fungi, such as
and plant roots produce nitrogen compounds mushrooms, break
nitrogen compounds when they eat, and down dead plants and
from pure nitrogen release it in their dung. animals, which release
in the air. their nitrogen compounds
back into the soil.
Nitrogen fertilizer

between nitrogen atoms detach very quickly. Some nitrogen compounds are put in dyes and
Nitrogen fuels, such as nitromethane, are used glues. An industrial technique called the Haber
in drag bikes, providing a lot more power than process turns nitrogen and hydrogen gas into
carbon-and-hydrogen only fuels, such as petrol. ammonia, a liquid commonly used to make
The compound hydrazine is used in thrusters on nitrogen fertilizers. When mixed with soil,
spacecraft, such as the Phoenix Mars Lander. these fertilizers boost plant growth. 155

154-155_Nitrogen.indd 155 12/12/16 5:40 pm