Nitrous oxide
hideNitrous oxide, commonly known as happy gas or laughing gas, is a chemical compound with the chemical formula N2O. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a pleasant, slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic effects. It is known as "laughing gas" due to the euphoric effects of inhaling it, a property that has led to its recreational use as an inhalant drug. It is also used as an oxidizer in rocketry and in motor racing to increase the power output of engines. It is often created in bushfires[citation needed].
Nitrous oxide reacts with ozone and is the main naturally occurring regulator of stratospheric ozone. Nitrous oxide is also a major greenhouse gas. Considered over a 100 year period, it has 298 times more impact per unit weight than carbon dioxide.
For more information about Nitrous oxide, read the full article at
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News tagged with nitrous oxide
Intensive land management leaves Europe without carbon sinks
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 23, 2009 |
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A new calculation of Europe's greenhouse gas balance shows that emissions of methane and nitrous oxide tip the balance and eliminate Europe's terrestrial sink of greenhouse gases.
Studying Fertilizers to Cut Greenhouse Gases
Nov 18, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have found that using alternative types of fertilizers can cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, at least in one part of the country. They are ...
Reducing Agriculture's Climate Change Footprint
Nov 04, 2009 |
2.3 / 5 (4) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Curbing greenhouse gas emissions from cultivated fields may require going beyond cutting back on nitrogen fertilizer and changing crop rotation cycles, according to research by Agricultural ...
New study predicts future consequences of a global biofuels program
Oct 22, 2009 |
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A report examining the impact of a global biofuels program on greenhouse gas emissions during the 21st century has found that carbon loss stemming from the displacement of food crops and pastures for biofuels ...
New study shows nitrous oxide now top ozone-depleting emission
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Aug 27, 2009 |
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Nitrous oxide has now become the largest ozone-depleting substance emitted through human activities, and is expected to remain the largest throughout the 21st century, NOAA scientists say in a new study.
Sir Richard Branson All Fired Up With Latest Rocket Motor Test
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 31, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (15) |
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Virgin Galactic owned by Sir Richard Branson completed a successful test on May 28, 2009 of its hybrid nitrous oxide motor designed by Scaled Composites and a subcontractor Sierra Nevada Corporation. The ...
Nitrate stimulates greenhouse gas production in small streams
Mar 30, 2009 |
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Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas that has been accumulating in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution. It is well known that fertilizer can stimulate nitrous oxide production in soils, but less is known about ...
Researchers find link between anesthesia exposure and learning disabilities in children
Mar 24, 2009 |
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Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children who require multiple surgeries under anesthesia during their first three years of life are at higher risk of developing learning disabilities later. Several studies have suggested ...
Farmers harness manure's gases to generate power
Feb 16, 2009 |
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Where others see simply manure, Danny Kluthe smells money. Long before President Barack Obama promised the country that "we will harness the sun and the winds and the soil," Kluthe already had yoked the power of pig poop.
People are more suggestible under laughing gas
Jan 09, 2009 |
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The pain-relieving effects of nitrous oxide - laughing gas - may be enhanced by suggestion or hypnosis, according to a new study by UCL (University College London). The study's findings - that people are more suggestible ...
ASU professor 'follows the elements' to understand evolution in ancient oceans
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 08, 2008 |
4.7 / 5 (9) |
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In the search for life beyond Earth, scientists 'follow the water' to find places that might be hospitable. However, every home gardener knows that plants need more than water, or even sunshine. They also ...
Nitrous oxide emissions respond differently to no-till depending on the soil type
Oct 22, 2008 |
3.2 / 5 (5) |
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The practice of no-till has increased considerably during the past 20 yr. The absence of tillage coupled with the accumulation of crop residues at the soil surface modifies several soil properties but also influence nitrogen ...
