Liquid nitrogen facts for kids
Liquid nitrogen is nitrogen at a very low temperature. It is usually produced by a process known as fractional distillation of air. At atmospheric pressure (normal pressure) nitrogen boils at −196 °C (77 K; −321 °F). Nitrogen was first made into a liquid at Jagiellonian University on 15 April 1883. Zygmunt Wróblewski and Karol Olszewski were the first scientists to liquefy nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. During World War II the production of liquid nitrogen became common. This lowered the cost to produce it. After the war new uses were found for liquid gases. Liquid nitrogen became a major gas in the US.
Uses
Liquid nitrogen has a variety of uses, as it is easy to transport, and compact.
- Removal of warts
- In Cryosurgery
- Storage and preservation of cells
- Shrink welding
- In food preparation, for foods such as ice cream
- To cool electronics, such as infrared sensors
- In Cryogenics
Images for kids
-
Students preparing homemade ice cream with a dewar of liquid nitrogen.
-
Filling a liquid nitrogen Dewar from a storage tank
See also
In Spanish: Nitrógeno líquido para niños
