Final answer:
Sodium azide is primarily used in labs for airbag production, rapidly generating nitrogen gas for inflation during a collision. Disposal down the drain is prohibited due to the potential formation of explosive azides and release of toxic gases, requiring adherence to specific waste disposal methods.
Step-by-step explanation:
Common Use and Disposal of Sodium Azide
The most common use of sodium azide (NaN3) in the lab is in the production of airbags used in vehicles. This is due to its ability to rapidly produce nitrogen gas upon decomposition, which is essential for the quick inflation of an airbag during a collision. The chemical reaction 2NaN3 (s) ā 3Nā(g) + 2Na (s) ensures that a small mass of sodium azide can produce a large volume of nitrogen gas, enough to deploy and fully inflate an airbag in just a fraction of a second.
Sodium azide solutions should not be poured down the drain because they can form explosive heavy metal azides with lead or copper commonly found in plumbing systems. Moreover, when azides are released into the environment, they can decompose to produce toxic hydrazoic acid gas, posing a risk to both the ecosystem and human health. Due to these hazards, it is necessary to follow proper waste disposal protocols for sodium azide to ensure safety and environmental protection.