Abstract
SPECTROSCOPIC evidence1 shows that the maximum energy of excitation which a molecule of active nitrogen can impart to another molecule (or atom) is 9·45 eV. Lord Rayleigh, however, from a study of the incandescence of metals immersed in active nitrogen, finds2 that each molecule of active nitrogen delivers to the metal energy of, at the least, 10 eV. These apparently conflicting results can be reconciled and satisfactorily explained on the hypothesis recently proposed by me, namely, that active nitrogen is simply the ionized molecule of nitrogen N2+ (X') produced by the discharge.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Okubo, J., and Hamada, H., Phil. Mag., (7), 5, 272 (1928).
Rayleigh Lord, Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 176, 17 (1940).
Mitra, S. K., Science and Culture (Calcutta), 9, 49 (1942–43) ; 10, 133 (1944–45); Nature, 154, 212 and 576 (1944).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
MITRA, S. Energy Imparted by Active Nitrogen. Nature 154, 831 (1944). https://doi.org/10.1038/154831a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/154831a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.