What happens when you mix Nitrogen and Oxygen?

Made by lightning! Nitrogen meets Oxygen

Air is full of nitrogen and oxygen, but they almost never react. Only the huge heat of a lightning bolt or a car engine joins them into nitric oxide.

The result

What it makes
Nitric oxide
Equation
N₂ + O₂ → 2NO
When it happens
Only in lightning or a hot car engine

Fun fact from Fizzy: Lightning makes nitrogen compounds that fall with the rain and help plants grow!

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