Video Transcript
In the preparation process of nitrogen from atmospheric air, what is the role of red-hot copper turnings?
When preparing nitrogen from atmospheric air, the other unwanted gases present in air need to be removed. The key gases to be removed from atmospheric air are oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. The extraction process starts with a jar full of air. Water is used to displace the air, forcing it into the next section of the apparatus. The air enters a solution of sodium hydroxide, which is also known as caustic soda. This is used to remove carbon dioxide. The remaining gases then pass through concentrated sulfuric acid. This removes water vapor as it’s a dehydrating agent. The remaining gas is then passed through a horizontal tube containing red-hot copper turnings.
When heated, copper turnings can act as a reducing agent. So copper can react with oxygen, reducing the oxygen and in turn forming copper oxide. The remaining gas, which is primarily nitrogen, is collected over mercury in a gas cylinder. We have come to the conclusion that red-hot copper turnings will remove oxygen from atmospheric air. So the answer to the question “In the preparation process of nitrogen from atmospheric air, what is the role of red-hot copper turnings?” is to remove oxygen gas.
