Browse by Stream
QnA
Home
QnA
Go To Your Study Dashboard

Get Answers to all your Questions

header-bg qa
  • Home
  • School
  • Physical properties of nitrogen, carbon, chlorine, phosphorus

Physical properties of nitrogen, carbon, chlorine, phosphorus

Answers (1)

Physical Properties

Nitrogen
Nitrogen gas (chemical symbol N) is generally inert, nonmetallic, colorless, odorless and tasteless. Its atomic number is 7, and it has an atomic weight of 14.0067. Nitrogen has a density of 1.251 grams/liter at 0 C and a specific gravity of 0.96737, making it slightly lighter than air.

Carbon
Carbon is a unique element. It occurs in many forms. Some of the examples of the pure form of carbon are coal and soot. It is soft and dull grey or black in color. One of the most important compounds of carbon is the charcoal, which is formed when carbon is heated in the absence in of air. It occurs in a number of allotropic forms. Allotropes are nothing but forms of an element with varying physical as well as chemical properties. The density of the different forms of carbon depends upon the origin of these elements. You will find some forms of carbon which are pure and some forms which are not pure like coal which is the mixture of both carbon and hydrogen.

Chlorine
Chlorine is a greenish yellow gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. It is two and a half times heavier than air. It becomes a liquid at −34 °C (−29 °F). It has a choking smell, and inhalation causes suffocation, constriction of the chest, tightness in the throat, and—after severe exposure—edema (filling with fluid) of the lungs. As little as one part per thousand in air causes death within a few minutes, but less than one part per million may be tolerated. Chlorine was the first gas used in chemical warfare in World War I. The gas is easily liquefied by cooling or by pressures of a few atmospheres at ordinary temperature.

Phosphorus
Phosphorus exists in at least three allotropic forms. Allotropes are forms of an element with different physical and chemical properties. The three main allotropes are named for their colors: white phosphorus (also called yellow phosphorus), red phosphorus, and black phosphorus (also called violet phosphorus). These allotropes all have different physical and chemical properties.

White phosphorus is a waxy, transparent solid. Its melting point is 44.1°C (111°F) and its boiling point is 280°C (536°F). It has a density of 1.88 grams per cubic centimeter. If kept in a vacuum, it sublimes if exposed to light. Sublimation is the process by which a solid changes directly to a gas when heated, without first changing to a liquid. White phosphorus is phosphorescent. It gives off a beautiful greenish-white glow. It does not dissolve well in water, although it does dissolve in other liquids, such as benzene, chloroform, and caron disulfide. White phosphorus sometimes appears slightly yellowish because of traces of red phosphorus.

Red phosphorus is a red powder. It can be made by heating white phosphorus with a catalyst to 240°C (464°F). A catalyst is a substance used to speed up or slow down a chemical reaction without undergoing any change itself. Without a catalyst, red phosphorus sublimes at 416°C (781°F). Its density is 2.34 grams per cubic centimeter. It does not dissolve in most liquids.

Black phosphorus looks like graphite powder. Graphite is a form of carbon used in "lead" pencils. Black phosphorus can be made by applying extreme pressure to white phosphorus. It has a density of 3.56 to 3.83 grams per cubic centimeter. One of its interesting properties is that it conducts an electric current in spite of being a non-metal.

 

Posted by

Ankit Dutt

View full answer

Similar Questions

Latest Question