What is ammonia?
Ammonia, also known as azane, is a chemical compound made of molecules which each contain one atom of nitrogen and three atoms of hydrogen. The molecular structure of ammonia is NH3.
At ordinary room temperature and pressure, ammonia is a colourless gas which is lighter than air. It has a distinct sharp or pungent smell and this is the reason why it was once commonly used as smelling salts to wake up any person who had fainted. In solid form ammonia is white and crystalline.
Ammonia dissolves easily in water to form ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) and is often known in this form as 'household ammonia'. It is commonly used for cleaning.
Today ammonia is used in the manufacture of dyes, explosives, plastics, drugs, nitric acid, fertilizer and many other chemicals that contain nitrogen.
Ammonia can be very dangerous because if it accidentally enters your body it reacts with water to produce ammonium hydroxide which is highly corrosive and which can damage human cells such as the lining of the airways.
At ordinary room temperature and pressure, ammonia is a colourless gas which is lighter than air. It has a distinct sharp or pungent smell and this is the reason why it was once commonly used as smelling salts to wake up any person who had fainted. In solid form ammonia is white and crystalline.
Ammonia dissolves easily in water to form ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) and is often known in this form as 'household ammonia'. It is commonly used for cleaning.
Today ammonia is used in the manufacture of dyes, explosives, plastics, drugs, nitric acid, fertilizer and many other chemicals that contain nitrogen.
Ammonia can be very dangerous because if it accidentally enters your body it reacts with water to produce ammonium hydroxide which is highly corrosive and which can damage human cells such as the lining of the airways.