How is nitrogen prepared in the laboratory? Write the chemical equations of the reactions involved.

Explanation

To prepare nitrogen in the laboratory, we can follow these steps involving a double decomposition reaction between ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) and sodium nitrite (NaNO2). Here’s the step-by-step solution along with the relevant chemical equations:

### Step 1: Prepare the Reactants
We need to prepare an aqueous solution of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) and sodium nitrite (NaNO2) in a 1:1 ratio.

### Step 2: Mix the Reactants
Combine the aqueous solutions of NH4Cl and NaNO2. The reaction can be represented as:
\[ \text{NH}_4\text{Cl (aq)} + \text{NaNO}_2 \text{ (aq)} \rightarrow \text{NH}_4\text{NO}_2 \text{ (aq)} + \text{NaCl (aq)} \]
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