Paging all chemistry experts: how can I tell if it's N2 or Air?

[Ombligo]

If you need an O2 meter, see if any staffers are technical scuba divers as almost all have an oxygen meter to properly mix their gases. You can also call a dive shop to see if they have one you can borrow after explaining the situation.

[Jimmypoo]

I inquired with a chemist friend of mine for you, and his quick reply was:

"Bubble the gas through something oxygen sensitive, which is why you have nitrogen lines in the first place.
Put a piece of freshly cut sodium in the gas to see if it oxidizes or not. You could measure its IR spectrum.

"I'm sure there are other possibilities."

I will add here, that there are nitrogen test kits available - such as the N/P Test Kit - but that should be
done by someone who's done it before. If your canister passes O2 in the mix - this will likely react with
the phosphorus and cause some excitement in your burette and your undies if you are doing the test.

[OWC Jamie]

macphanatic wrote:
[quote=billb]
why run a hose outside ?
This lab doesn't have a test tube you could invert fill with the "gas" and walk outside with a shove a match into to see if lack of O puts ithe flame out ?
Not the greatest of tests.
If it's regular compressed air it's not like you've got something explosive in the tube, it's air.


Got a canary ?

Even if it was H2, it would only make a small bang. We did this in High School AP Chemistry to lighten the mood occasionally. Ok, it we really did it just to see who would jump. Yes we were juvenile.
I'm pretty sure N2 is a bit less inert than H2.


the hard part is keeping his sample pure enough to test.