Nitrous oxide transfer of nitrous oxide from bulk cylinders to smaller, more transportable E-type, 1590 liter-capacity tanks, is legal when the intended use of the gas is for medical anaesthesia. Nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or nitrous, is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formula . At room temperature, it is a colourless non-flammable gas, with a slight metallic scent and taste. At elevated temperatures, nitrous oxide is a powerful oxidizer similar to molecular oxygen. It is soluble in water. Nitrous oxide has significant medical uses, especially in surgery and dentistry, for its anaesthetic and
Chemical formula a different connectivity from other molecules that can be formed using the same atoms in the same proportions (isomers). The formula (CH)CH implies a central carbon atom connected to one hydrogen atom and three CH groups. The same number of atoms of each element (10 hydrogens and 4 carbons, or CH) may be used to make a straight chain molecule, "n"-butane: CHCHCHCH. In any given chemical compound, the elements always combine in the same proportion with each other. This is the law of constant composition. The law of constant composition says that, in any particular chemical compound, all samples of