Final answer:
Nitrogen is known as an inert gas due to its strong triple bond that leads to a lack of reactivity under normal conditions, except in specific chemical reactions or biological processes such as nitrogen fixation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nitrogen is known as an inert gas under ordinary conditions, being a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. It is characterized by a lack of reactivity due to the strong triple bond between nitrogen atoms. Contrary to toxins or explosive gases, nitrogen does not react readily at room temperature except in specific reactions with lithium, transition metals, or in biological processes conducted by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. In terms of industrial and scientific applications, because of its inertness, liquid nitrogen serves as an efficient and cost-effective coolant.
The conversion of nitrogen gas (N₂) into ammonia (NH₃) is known as nitrogen fixation, a crucial process for incorporating atmospheric nitrogen into biologically useful forms. This process can be natural, through the action of specific bacteria or environmental phenomena such as lightning, or artificial, via industrial methods like the Haber-Bosch process.
The group of gases known as noble gases, consisting of helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon, shares nitrogen's property of being unreactive at room temperature and pressure, which historically led to them being referred to as inert gases as well.