Nitrogen was discovered through a process of elimination.
Here's a breakdown:
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The Discoverer: Daniel Rutherford, a chemist and physician, is credited with the discovery in 1772.
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The Process: Rutherford systematically removed oxygen and carbon dioxide from air. According to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the remaining gas did not support life or combustion. This indicated that the gas was distinct from those already known and identified.
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The Experiment: Rutherford essentially isolated nitrogen by demonstrating what it didn't do. This established its unique properties and differentiated it from the gases supporting combustion and respiration.
In essence, nitrogen wasn't "found" directly but rather revealed through a process of elimination by removing other known gases from the air and observing the properties of the remaining substance.
