Ammonia is a compound composed solely from the elements hydrogen and nitrogen. At normal room temperatures and pressures ammonia exists as a colorless gas that is lighter than air and has a characteristic pungent odor. Each single ammonia molecule contains one nitrogen atom bonded covalently to three hydrogen atoms; hence, the chemical formula of ammonia is NH₃. The structure of the ammonia molecule is best described as pyramidal. The nitrogen atom occupies the apex of the pyramid, while the three hydrogen atoms constitute its triangular base. As a consequence of the electron structure of the nitrogen atom, two of its electrons do not participate in the bonding to the hydrogen atoms, and constitute a lone pair that points directly up from the top of the pyramid. It is this lone pair of electrons that is responsible for the prolific chemical reactivity observed for ammonia. Most notably, the chemistry...