Question

Why is dinitrogen unreactive at ordinary temperature?

Answer 1

1. Dinitrogen (N₂) has a very strong triple bond (N ≡ N) between the two nitrogen atoms.
2. This triple bond has a very high bond enthalpy of about 941.4 kJ/mol.
3. Due to this high bond dissociation energy, it is very difficult to break the bond at ordinary temperatures.
4. As a result, dinitrogen is very stable and unreactive under normal conditions.
5. It reacts only at high temperatures or in the presence of catalysts to form compounds like nitrides or nitric oxide.

This explains why dinitrogen is unreactive at ordinary temperature.