By Alex McQuain

Nitrous Oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas, was discovered by Joseph Preistly (Davenport 1).

It became a very common anesthetic and it still is today.

There are many other uses for Nitrous Oxide including propellant in whipped cream and an oxidizing agent in racecars (General 1).

Nitrous Oxide is not very polar, which allows it to dissolve in fats and water easily (General 1).

Companies that commercially produce it typically do so by gently heating ammonium nitrate to yield water and nitrous oxide.

These are the two most important resonance structures (General 1).

Laughing gas is actually a mix of 70% oxygen and 30% Nitrous Oxide (Dental 2).

Affects the patient in less than 5 minutes.

No ill affects after use (Dental 1,4).

Creates Euphoria within the patient.

Stages of Sedation 1.Tingling sensation. 2. Followed by a warm

feeling. 3. Feeling of well-being,

hearing may dissolve into electronic throbbing.

4. Sleepiness, Nausea sets in, dream can occur (Dental 2).

Nitrous oxide is often used as a whipped cream propellant because it dissolves readily in fats (General 1).

It also foams and dissolves at release of pressure.

Supports combustion better than regular air (General 2).

Molecule breaks at low temperature leaving pure oxygen and nitrogen in the engine.

Boosts horsepower up to 50%.

Nitrous oxide is very useful, but it has setbacks.

It can lead to a major explosion if used improperly in car engines (Davenport 3).

When the gas expands, temperatures plummet and it can cause frostbite (General 2).

Works CitedDavenport, Derek. Nitrous Oxide: By No Means a Laughing Matter. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.Dental Fear Central. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. <http://www.dentalfearcentral.org/help/sedation-dentistry/laughing-gas/>.General Chemistry Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. <http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/inorganic/faq/laughing-gas.shtml>.