dazote

Dazote is an historical or less common name for the chemical element nitrogen, which has atomic number 7 and the symbol N. Today the standard English name is nitrogen, while azote is used in French. The spelling dazote appears in some older English-language sources and in certain non-English texts as a variant.

Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless diatomic gas at room temperature. It makes up about 78 percent of Earth's atmosphere. The molecule consists of two nitrogen atoms held together by a very strong triple bond, which gives nitrogen its low reactivity under many conditions. It is a nonmetal and has several isotopes, with 14N and 15N being the most abundant.

In nature, nitrogen is essential for life as a component of amino acids, nucleic acids, and enzymes, yet molecular nitrogen is relatively inert. It is fixed by certain bacteria or industrial processes to form reactive nitrogen compounds. Industrially, nitrogen is produced by fractional distillation of liquid air and is used to create inert atmospheres in chemical synthesis, metallurgy, food packaging, and electronics. It also serves as a cryogenic fluid and coolant in various applications.

History and naming: Daniel Rutherford isolated nitrogen in 1772, describing it as “noxious air.” The name azote was proposed by Antoine Lavoisier in 1786 to reflect its lack of life-supporting properties. The spelling dazote is an archaic variant found in some older texts; modern usage typically uses nitrogen in English or azote in French.

Safety and environment: Nitrogen gas is non-toxic but can displace oxygen in enclosed spaces, posing an asphyxiation risk. It is not flammable and does not support most chemical reactions, though reactive nitrogen compounds are central to agriculture and industry.