Ammonia

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Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. At standard temperature and pressure ammonia is a gas. It is toxic and corrosive to some materials, and has a characteristic pungent odor.

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An ammonia molecule is not flat, but has the shape of a compressed tetrahedron known as a trigonal pyramid, as would be expected from VSEPR theory. This shape gives the molecule an overall dipole moment and makes it polar so that ammonia very readily dissolves in water. The nitrogen atom in the molecule has a lone electron pair, and ammonia acts as a base. In acidic or even neutral aqueous solutions, it can bond to a hydronium ion (H3O+), releasing a water molecule (H2O) to form the positively charged ammonium ion (NH4+), which has the shape of a regular tetrahedron. The degree to which ammonia forms the ammonium ion depends on the pH of the solution.

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The main uses of ammonia are in the production of fertilizers, explosives and polymers. It is also an ingredient in certain household glass cleaners. Ammonia is found in small quantities in the atmosphere, being produced from the putrefaction of nitrogenous animal and vegetable matter. Ammonia and ammonium salts are also found in small quantities in rainwater, while ammonium chloride (sal-ammoniac) and ammonium sulfate are found in volcanic districts; crystals of ammonium bicarbonate have been found in Patagonian guano. Ammonium salts also are found distributed through all fertile soil and in seawater.

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