Chemical Equation: Hydrogen combines with Nitrogen to form Ammonia

When writing the equation, remember that Nitrogen and Hydrogen are diatomic gases (they always travel in pairs, $N_2$ and $H_2$).

• Unbalanced Equation: $N_2 + H_2 \rightarrow NH_3$
• Perfectly Balanced Equation: $N_2(g) + 3H_2(g) \rightleftharpoons 2NH_3(g)$ (Meaning: 1 molecule of Nitrogen gas reacts with 3 molecules of Hydrogen gas to produce exactly 2 molecules of Ammonia gas).

Nitrogen gas has a massive, incredibly strong 'Triple Bond' ($N \equiv N$) holding its atoms together. It completely refuses to react with hydrogen under normal conditions. To force the reaction, massive industrial factories must apply extreme violence:

• High Temperature: Around 700 Kelvin (450°C).
• Massive Pressure: 200 Atmospheres (200 times the normal pressure of Earth's air).
• The Catalyst: Even with extreme heat, the reaction is too slow. Factories use solid Iron (Fe) powder as a catalyst to drastically speed up the reaction, along with Molybdenum (Mo) as a promoter.

Notice the double arrow ($\rightleftharpoons$) in the equation. This indicates that the reaction is Reversible. As soon as the factory makes Ammonia ($NH_3$), the intense heat starts breaking it back down into Nitrogen and Hydrogen. Chemists have to constantly pull the Ammonia out of the machine to stop it from breaking apart.