Why does the upper atmosphere contain only very little dissociated nitrogen? A)Most of the nitrogen is in the troposphere and not in the upper atmosphere. B)The dissociated nitrogen very rapidly diffuses out of the atmosphere and into space. C)Nitrogen atoms are extremely reactive and so react with other substances immediately upon their formation. D)The bond energy of nitrogen is very high and it does not absorb radiation very efficiently. E)There is no N₂ in the upper atmosphere.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bond energy of nitrogen, which is the energy required to break the bond between two nitrogen atoms, is very high. As a result, nitrogen molecules do not easily absorb radiation in the upper atmosphere and dissociate into individual nitrogen atoms. Therefore, there is very little dissociated nitrogen in the upper atmosphere.

Why Does the Upper Atmosphere Contain Only Very Little Dissociated