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Estimation Of Nitrogen (duma's Method)

Mediumchemistry

By Duma's method, 0.5 g of an organic compound on combustion produced 112 mL of nitrogen gas measured at standard temperature and pressure. Determine the percentage of nitrogen present.

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About This Question

Subject
chemistry
Chapter
principles related to practical chemistry
Topic
estimation of nitrogen (duma's method)
Difficulty
Medium
Year
2025
Tags
Duma methodnitrogen estimationmolar volumegas collectionpercentage composition

Solution

Correct Answer:

Duma's method oxidises the organic compound over heated copper oxide so that all bound nitrogen is liberated as free nitrogen gas, which is collected over potassium hydroxide and its volume measured. At STP, 22400 mL of N_2 corresponds to 28 g of nitrogen (the molar mass of N_2). The mass of nitrogen in the sample is therefore (28 / 22400) × 112 = 0.14 g. Percentage of nitrogen = (0.14 / 0.5) × 100 = 28%. Option 14% mistakenly omits dividing by the sample mass and instead reports the nitrogen mass scaled incorrectly. Option 56% would result from using 14 g per 22400 mL, i.e. treating the gas as atomic nitrogen rather than diatomic N_2. Option 22.4% confuses the molar volume figure with a percentage. The working applies the NCERT relation %N = (28 × V_N2)/(22400 × mass) × 100, where the volume is corrected to standard temperature and pressure before substitution. Unlike Kjeldahl's method, Duma's method works for all nitrogen-containing compounds, including those with nitrogen in rings or in nitro groups, because oxidative combustion liberates every form of nitrogen as the element. Plausibility check: 112 mL is one two-hundredth of the molar volume, giving 0.14 g nitrogen, a magnitude consistent with a nitrogen-rich compound such as a small amine.

This medium difficulty chemistry question is from the chapter principles related to practical chemistry, covering the topic of estimation of nitrogen (duma's method). It appeared in the 2025 exam.

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