英语翻译

英语翻译
Nitrous oxide (N2O),more properly called
dinitrogen monoxide,is a compound with many interesting uses.It was
discovered in 1772 by Joseph Priestley (who is also given credit for
discovering oxygen gas),and its intoxicating effects were noted almost immediately.
In 1798,the 20-year-old Humphry Davy became director of the Pneumatic
Institute,which was set up to investigate the medical effects of various
gases.Davy tested the effects of N2O on himself,reporting that after inhaling
16 quarts of the gas in 7 minutes,he became “absolutely intoxicated.”
Over the next century “laughing gas,” as
nitrous oxide became known,was developed as an anesthetic,particularly for
dental procedures.Nitrous oxide is still used as an anesthetic,although it
has been largely replaced by more modern drugs.
One major use of nitrous oxide today is as the propellant in cans of “instant”
whipped cream.The high solubility of N2O in the whipped cream mixture makes it
an excellent candidate for pressurizing the cans of whipped cream.
Another current use of nitrous oxide is to
produce “instant horsepower” for hot rods and street racers.Because the
reaction of N2O with O2 to form NO actually absorbs heat,this reaction has a
cooling effect when placed in the fuel mixture in an automobile engine.This
cooling effect lowers
combustion temperatures,thus allowing the
fuel–air mixture to be significantly more dense (the density of a gas is
inversely proportional to temperature).This effect can produce a burst of
additional power in excess of 200 horsepower.Because engines are not designed
to run steadily at such high power levels,the nitrous oxide is injected from a
tank when extra power is desired.