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Sodium Nitride is an inorganic compound that is highly unstable. It is obtained by atomic beams of nitrogen being united and sodium is deposited at a low temperature. It is a white crystalline solid along with a density of 2.26g/mL. It is used as a food preservative and as a salt substitute. Sodium Nitride is an ionic compound with the chemical formula for Sodium Nitride is Na3N. All the ionic compounds are formed by the interactions between the metals and non-metals.
Key Terms: Ions, Atoms, Ionic Compound, Sodium, Nitrogen, Electrons, Alkali Metal, Non-Metals, Thermal Decomposition, Compound
Sodium Nitride Formula
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Sodium Nitride comprises a highly erratic nitride of alkali metals. In the periodic table, Sodium is an element of group 1. The ions here are created by the single free electrons. All the nitride ions are formed by gaining three electrons and 3 ions, i.e, N-3. The chemical formula for Sodium Nitride is Na3N. Sodium Nitride is highly unstable and can decompose into its constituent elements, i.e, nitrogen and sodium. Both these components are deposited in the low-temperature substrate of sapphire and the ionic component is formed by the balancing of the constituent ions. It is done by balancing three sodium ions with a single nitride ion. The equation is given as follows:
2Na3N = 6Na + N2
Read More: Sodium: Uses, Physical and Chemical Properties
Structure of Sodium Nitride
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Sodium Nitride exhibits an anti-ReO structure that can be seen in the formula of sodium nitride. It contains a simple lattice that is made from a NNa Octahedra. The length of the N-Na bond of sodium nitride is approximately 236.6 pm. The structure of sodium nitride can be recorded through the X-ray diffraction mode that can be used to record the structural formation of the sodium nitride. Sodium nitride has neutral diffraction on the powder & single crystals that have been confirmed through the X-ray diffraction. The compound sodium nitride has a cubic cP4 crystal structure.
Structure of Sodium Nitride
Preparation of Sodium Nitride
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Sodium Nitride can be easily synthesised via direct method or the thermal decomposition of NaNH2. The process takes place when the sodium is introduced into the sodium forms, nitrogen and charities get opened up in the structure as the sodium ions. After that, they start rearranging themselves and accommodate near nitrogen. When the sodium ions start moving closer towards nitrogen, the conduction band of the s electrons is formed. While creating the metallic compound, the gap between them is equivalent to the insulators.
Properties of Sodium Nitride
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Mentioned below are the few physical and chemical properties of sodium nitride:
- Sodium nitride is different from another nitride as it has no boiling point in it.
- Sodium nitride shares the same anion as sodium nitride with sodium amide.
- Sodium nitride is about 90% ionic at room temperature furthermore, with a bandgap typical of a semiconductor accordingly.
- The space group of the sodium nitride is Pm3M.
- The figured enthalpy of formation of the compound sodium nitride is +64 kJ/mol:
- The appearance of sodium nitride is that it is reddish-brown in colours and it can be dark also as it depends on their synthesis process.
- The molar mass/molecular weight of sodium nitride is 82.98 g/mol.
- Sodium and nitrogen have very strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions so they have very high melting & boiling points.
- It decomposes around 86.85°C (189°F, 360 kelvin).
- The density of sodium nitride is 2.17 g/cm3 and the vapour pressure is 0.2.
- Sodium Nitride is easily soluble in water.
Uses of Sodium Nitride
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Some of the applications of sodium nitride are mentioned below:
- Sodium nitride is an ionic salt and it is available in most volumes. The mainly considered forms are high purity, submicron and nanopowder.
- It is used as a food preservative to a large extent.
- It can also be used as an antidote to cyanide poisoning.
- Sodium Nitride can be used as an antihypertensive agent and food antioxidant.
Things to Remember
- Sodium nitride is also an alkali metal but it does not contain any carbon-hydrogen bond. It is popular as a highly unstable alkali metal.
- It is an ionic compound with one sodium atom and three nitrogen atoms.
- All the unstable alkali metals can easily decompose to form the sodium and nitrogen ions.
- Sodium Nitride is an antioxidant and can be used as a food preservative.
- Sodium Nitride helps in preserving all the food items to a large extent.
- It is used as a microbial agent in meat & fish.
- It is useful in many ways but it should be used in a limited amount otherwise it can become toxic.
Sample Questions
Ques. What is Sodium Nitride made from? (2 marks)
Ans. Sodium Nitride is an unstable alkali metal nitride. It is called an inorganic compound. It is unstable so it makes it different from the other alkali metal nitride. Sodium Nitride is formed by Formula atomic beams of sodium and nitrogen. The atomic beams of nitrogen and sodium are combined and then settled at a lower temperature with the sapphire substrate. After combining nitrogen and sodium atomic beams we find sodium nitride.
Ques. Explain the structure of the sodium nitride formula through a diagram. (3 marks)
Ans. The structure of sodium nitride is:
The chemical formula of sodium nitride is Na3N. Some of the notable facts are:
- In all the ionic compounds the charges are balanced out to zero.
- The ion of nitride has a -3 charge in it.
- So the sodium nitride has 3 sodium ions for each nitride ion.
- Sodium ions are represented as Na+ whereas nitride ions are represented as N-3.
Ques. Describe the reaction of sodium nitride with water. (2 marks)
Ans. Sodium Nitride is a chemical inorganic compound that is soluble in water. It reacts with water easily. The reaction of Sodium nitride with water is
Na3N + 3H2O = 3NaOH + NH3
After the reaction takes place the sodium nitride produces sodium hydroxide & ammonia.
Ques. Write the characteristics of sodium nitride. (3 marks)
Ans. The characteristics of Sodium Nitride are as follows:
- The sodium nitride is reddish-brown or it can be dark blue. The colour depends on the synthesis of the compound.
- Sodium nitride doesn’t show any signs of decomposition even after several weeks when it is at room temperature.
- The compound sodium nitride doesn’t have any boiling point.
- The sodium nitride decomposes back to its elemental forms that are demonstrated using the mass spectrometry 360 K.
- The measure enthalpy of the formation for the compound sodium nitride is +64 kJ/mol.
Ques. Write the synthesis of the sodium nitride. (3 marks)
Ans. Two ways can be used for synthesising sodium nitride:
- Thermal Decomposition: In this method, the desired ratios of Na and N, are introduced in the gas phase separately and after that they are deposited into the vacuum chamber at a cooled substrate. It is then heated at a room temperature of 298 K for crystallisation.
- Direct Method: In this method, the elemental sodium reacts with plasma-activated nitrogen over a metal surface. This method can be facilitated by introducing liquid Na-K alloy with the compound including the removed excess liquid and it is washed with fresh alloy, furthermore the solid is separated from the liquid.
Ques. How to find a balanced formula for sodium nitride? (5 marks)
Ans. The sodium nitride comprises metal sodium and non-metal nitrogen. If a compound contains a metal and a non-metal then it will be considered an ionic compound. The charge of each of the elements that are present in the compound should be taken into account.
The explanation of the formula;
- Sodium is an alkali metal that has the symbol Na that belongs to group 1 and possesses a +1 cationic charge whereas nitrogen is a non-metal and has a symbol of N & possesses a -3 anionic charge.
- The equation thereafter will be: Na+ N3-
- The sodium nitride is neutral, the net charge of the compound will be zero.
- In the present case; (+1) + (-3) = -2
- But it can not be the formula of sodium nitride because one to one ratio makes an ionic formula. But we need to change the subscripts to the charge.
- Let’s follow the criss-cross method; (Na1+)3 (N3-)1.
- After balancing the charges: (3 × (+1)) + (1 × (-3)) = 0
- Therefore, it is clear that the formula for sodium nitride is Na3N.
Ques. How to find the formula of Sodium Nitride? (2 marks)
Ans. The elements of sodium nitride which is an ionic compound include sodium and nitrogen. Sodium which is represented as Na has a charge of +1, on the other side The other compound nitrogen which is represented as N has a charge of -3 conversely. To find out the net charge of the ion is 0, we need 3 atoms of Sodium for each atom of Nitrogen because each sodium atom has a charge of +1. Accordingly, the charge of the 3 Sodium atoms together will be +3. Therefore it will cancel out with all the -3 charges of the single nitrogen atom. Consequently, the formula unit is Na3N for sodium nitride.
Ques. If one mole of sodium atom weighs 21 g then what is the mass (in g) of one atom of sodium? (2 marks)
Ans. The weight of 6.022 × 10 21 atoms of Sodium (Na) = 23 g
Hence, the weight of Atom = 21/6.022 × 10 21 g = 3.487× 10 -21 g
Therefore, the mass of one atom of sodium is 3.487 × 10 -21 g.
Ques. Give the synthesis reaction of sodium nitrate. (3 marks)
Ans. Sodium Nitrate is synthesised by the reaction of nitric acid with sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate. The reaction is:
2HNO3 + Na2CO3 \( \rightarrow\) 2 NaNO3 + H2O + CO2
HNO3 + NaHCO3 \( \rightarrow\) NaNO3 + H2O + CO2
It is also prepared by neutralising it with sodium hydroxide. The reactions is:
HNO3 + NaOH \( \rightarrow\) NaNO3 + H2O
Ques. Give the reactions of NH4NO with ammonium nitrate and sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate. (3 marks)
Ans. The reactions are:
NH4NO3 + NaOH \( \rightarrow\) NaNO3 + NH4OH
NH4NO3 + NaHCO3 \( \rightarrow\)NaNO3 + NH4HCO3
2NH4NO3 + Na2CO3 \( \rightarrow\) 2NaNO3 + (NH4)2CO3
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