Question #77a01

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Answer 1 · 2016-05-03T09:30:18

$CaCN_2$

Equation

$CaC_2+N_2->CaCN_2+C$ (at 1100C)

$CaCN_2->$ Calcium cyanamide used as fertilizer.

Answer 2 · 2016-05-03T09:53:03

None of these, actually. You get calcium cyanamide (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_cyanamide), $"Ca(CN"_2")$ .

Calcium cyanamide is not the same as calcium cyanide, which is $"Ca(CN")_2""$ .

Cyanamide has two nitrogen atoms attached to one carbon like this:

$"N"^{-}="C"="N"^-$

Two cyanide ions would of course have the nitrogen attached to separate carbon atoms and the negative charge formally on carbon not nitrogen:

$"C"^{-}-="N"$
$"C"^{-}-="N"$

Calcium cyanamide has several applications including a nitrogen source in soul fertilizer -- where cyanide would be a poor choice indeed!