This reaction is a combination reaction having two reactants combining to create a single product. The two reacants in the synthesis of ammonia reaction are two elements that everyone should be aqcuainted with -- elemental hydrogen (H2) and elemental nitrogen (N2). The resulting product in this reaction is the covalent compound, ammonia (NH3). Elemental hydrogen and elemental nitrogen is something one should be familiar. Of course, elemental hydrogen is in the water humans drink everyday. However, hydrogen is quite rare elsewhere on Earth because it is nearly fourteen times lighter than the air in the atmosphere, so it rapidly escapes the Earth 's gravity if unbound. Hydrogen is the most abundant element found in the universe, though. In contrast, nitrogen is quite abundant on Earth; in fact, the air one breathes is about seventy-eight elemental nitrogen. As one can see, the reactants in the synthesis of ammonia are quite important; the product, ammonia, is also immensely important. Ammonia is a compound that is instrumental in suporting plant life. Ammonia itself is important in making fertilizers and is in cleaning fluids, but it can be converted into Nitric acid which is an important material used in the manufacturing of both fertilizers and explosives. The reason ammonia is used in fertilizers is because plants need nitrogen to build protein molecules; however, plants can not just take nitrogen from the air, so …show more content…
For example, the reaction can not occur without a catalyst. This reaction catalyzes in a process known as the Haber Process. One can see the Haber Process at work in Figure 1. In Figure 1, one can see that elemental nitrogen from the air and elemental hydrogen from natural gas are combining and propagated through a tube at a mole ratio of 1 mole of nitrogen to 3 moles of hydrogen. The two gases reach a chamber and are heated to 450 degrees centigrade, subjected to a pressure of 200 atm, and combined with an iron catalyst. Afterward, the ammonia gas made is cooled to a liquid. Finally, the unreached gases are recycled by mking those gases go through the process again. The Haber Process occurs under high temperatures and high pressures. The high pressure (optimally 200atm.) will cause the reaction to shift toward the products (according to Le Chatelier 's principle) maximizing the amount of ammonia (product) produced. Although the reaction occurs under high temperature, the reaction actually shifts toward the products as the temperature lowers, but the rate of reaction is extremely low. As a result, a compromised temperature of 450 degrees centigrade is used to get a moderate ammonia yield and a decent reaction rate. Essentially, the heat and high pressure along with an iron catalyst allow the reaction to be possible. Additionally, this sythesis reaction has a negative entropy of -193.3