Q. Illustrate the Physical properties of Ammonia?
Ans.
Ammonia is a colorless gas that has a strong penetrating odor. It boils at -33oC and is easily liquefied by pressure.
Ammonia is less dense than air and is very soluble in water. If a test tube of ammonia is inverted over water, the water rises immediately to fill the whole tube. This shows how soluble ammonia is in water. In water it forms a basic solution.
The extreme solubility of ammonia can be demonstrated by the "fountain experiment." A flask is filled with ammonia and then lowered into a trough of water. A few drops of water are squeezed into the flask from a pipette.
This starts the fountain! This entertaining reaction happens because the ammonia dissolves in the few drops of water. This lowers the pressure inside the flask so that the outside atmospheric pressure forces water into the flask.