Liquid nitrogen facts for kids
Liquid nitrogen is nitrogen that has been made super cold. It's so cold that it becomes a liquid! It is usually made by cooling down regular air. At normal air pressure, liquid nitrogen boils at a very low temperature: about -196 °C (that's -321 °F).
A Brief History
The first time nitrogen was turned into a liquid was on April 15, 1883. This happened at Jagiellonian University. Two scientists, Zygmunt Wróblewski and Karol Olszewski, were the first to make nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide into liquids.
During World War II, making liquid nitrogen became much more common. This helped to lower its cost. After the war, people found many new ways to use liquid gases. Liquid nitrogen then became a very important gas, especially in the United States.
How is it Used?
Liquid nitrogen is very useful because it's easy to move around and takes up little space. Here are some of its uses:
- It can be used to remove warts from skin.
- It is used in a special type of surgery called Cryosurgery, which uses extreme cold.
- It helps store and keep cells safe for a long time, like in medical research.
- It's used in a process called shrink welding, where metal parts are cooled to fit together tightly.
- It helps prepare some foods, like making super-cold ice cream.
- It can cool down electronics, such as infrared sensors, to help them work better.
- It is a key part of Cryogenics, which is the study of very low temperatures.
Images for kids
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Students preparing homemade ice cream with a dewar of liquid nitrogen.
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Filling a liquid nitrogen Dewar from a storage tank.
See also
In Spanish: Nitrógeno líquido para niños
