Which odourless, colourless, tasteless and chemically unreactive gas was invented by Daniel Rutherford in 1772 and was independently isolated at the same time by CW Scheele and H Cavendish?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. Nitrogen.
The gas is nitrogen, an odourless, colourless, tasteless, and chemically unreactive gas. It was discovered by Daniel Rutherford in 1772, who referred to it as "noxious air" or "phlogisticated air." Around the same time, nitrogen was independently isolated by Carl Wilhelm Scheele and Henry Cavendish. Nitrogen makes up about 78% of Earth's atmosphere and is a crucial component of the biosphere, being a key element in amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids.