Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is commonly used in dentistry but also has other applications such as in rocketry, internal combustion engines, and as a propellant in aerosol products. It can also be abused as a recreational drug, causing various side effects.
Popularly known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is a colorless, non-flammable gas. One of the more common uses is in the field of dentistry, where gas is administered to the patient as part of the preparation process for a dental procedure. However, nitrous oxide can also be used in many other non-dentistry applications.
One of the other uses of nitrous oxide has to do with rocketry. The gas functions as an oxidizing agent in the rocket engine, and is sometimes used in hybrid systems that couple nitrous oxide with some other form of propellant. As a bonus, nitrous oxide can be broken down and used to create breathable air in an emergency situation.
Along with rocket engines, nitrous oxide can also be used in different designs of an internal combustion engine. This application is not unusual with vehicles designed for racing. In some engines, gas serves as an agent that allows the engine to more efficiently use the fuel and air combination to create higher levels of combustion. This in turn allows the vehicle to move at a faster pace. A slightly different approach is known as NOS or nitrous oxide systems which also helps to increase engine horsepower to make better use of propellants.
Nitrous oxide can also be used as a propellant in aerosol products. Many common food products such as cooking sprays and cans of whipping cream use gas as their preferred propellant. The benefit is that nitrous oxide doesn’t tend to break down butterfat in creamer or turn oils in cooking sprays rancid quickly. This gives the gas a distinct advantage over other compressed air formulas which would not allow the creamer to produce the desired foaming effect and would not allow the cooking spray to hold at room temperature.
The nitrous oxide application that most people know about is found in the dentist’s office. Administered through a mask that is placed over the mouth and nose, the gas helps to relax the patient, making it much less painful to administer a dose of novocaine. The patient also tends to become so relaxed that the passage of time becomes difficult to monitor, a trait that can be useful when the dental work involved takes some time. While most people do not experience any side effects from being given the gas, there are some incidences of mild nausea and similar physical effects that last for a short time.
Unfortunately, gas is also sometimes abused as a recreational drug. While perfectly safe when administered in a controlled environment, the gas can cause a number of conditions such as a sense of depersonalization not unlike an anxiety attack, dizziness, and a general sense of disconnection with one’s surroundings. In some cases, the gas can cause hallucinations as well as produce a feeling of euphoria. The gas is sometimes mixed with amyl nitrite in what are known as nitrous kits as a way to produce a quick effect that is not unlike the effect produced after drinking several alcoholic beverages.
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