Question

The formula of nitrous oxide is:
(A) ${{N}_{2}}O$
(B) $NO$
(C) $N{{O}_{2}}$
(D) ${{N}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}$

Answer 1

Hint: Think about the formulae for all the compounds that are given here. Consider the oxidation states of both nitrogen and oxygen and also the names of the compound when nitrogen is present in certain oxidation states.

Complete step by step solution:
First, let us look at the uses of nitrous oxide before moving on to how it looks structurally. It is a colourless and non-flammable gas whose common name is laughing gas. It can act as a very powerful oxidizing agent akin to molecular hydrogen at higher temperatures. It can be used by dentists of medical professionals as a sedative during procedures. It also acts as a pain reliever. Now, let us look at each of the given options one by one to determine which is the correct option. We know that oxygen has a fixed oxidation state of -2, let us calculate the oxidation state of nitrogen according to that.
- ${{N}_{2}}O$
Here, the oxidation state of the nitrogen atom here is +1 since the compound does not have any net charge. The common name for this compound is nitrous oxide or laughing gas. So, this is the correct answer.
- $NO$
Here, the oxidation state of the nitrogen atom here is +2 since the compound does not have any net charge. The common name for this compound is nitric oxide. So, this is not the correct answer.
- $N{{O}_{2}}$
Here, the oxidation state of the nitrogen atom here is +4 since the compound does not have any net charge. The common name for this compound is nitrite. So, this is not the correct answer.
- ${{N}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}$
Here, the oxidation state of the nitrogen atom here is +3 since the compound does not have any net charge. The common name for this compound is dinitrogen trioxide. So, this is not the correct answer.

Hence, we can say that the correct answer to this question is ‘A. ${{N}_{2}}O$’.

Note: Please do not get confused due to the naming of acids. $HN{{O}_{3}}$ is defined as nitric acid and $HN{{O}_{2}}$ is defined as nitrous acid. Please refer to only the nomenclature of oxides and not acids to avoid confusion.