The key difference between ammonia and cloudy ammonia is their composition. Ammonia is a compound made of nitrogen and hydrogen, while cloudy ammonia is a soap-added ammonia.
Ammonia is a chemical compound extensively produced within the chemical industry, while cloudy ammonia primarily finds application in domestic cleaning. However, ammonia has a wide range of chemical applications, including pharmaceutical production and its role as a cleaning agent, among other diverse uses.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Ammonia
3. What is Cloudy Ammonia
4. Ammonia vs Cloudy Ammonia in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Ammonia vs Cloudy Ammonia
What is Ammonia?
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. The gaseous form of ammonia is colourless with a pungent odour. It is a caustic and hazardous chemical. Ammonia is one of the main chemicals manufactured in larger quantities in the chemical industry. It is used in both liquid and gaseous forms for various uses and is widely used as a nitrogen fertilizer. It is also used to synthesize many pharmaceuticals and is present in most commercially available cleaning products. The pure form of ammonia is called anhydrous ammonia. High-concentrated ammonia causes irritation and burns. When regular ammonia is used as a cleaner, it does not stain and is great for cleaning windows and mirrors.
Some uses of ammonia are,
- To produce ammonia fertilizer.
- As a refrigerator gas
- To purify water supplies.
- To manufacture plastics, explosives, fabrics, pesticides, dyes and other chemicals.
- As a domestic cleaner.
What is Cloudy Ammonia?
Cloudy ammonia is made by mixing ammonia with soap; it is also called “sudsy ammonia”. It is a cloudy white or grey-coloured solution.
Cloudy ammonia is used as a cleaning agent as it is a perfect cleaner for grime and dirt. One of the most common uses of ammonia is as a domestic cleaning agent. Although cloudy ammonia is commercially available, it can be made at home by mixing ammonia with soap.
What is the Difference Between Ammonia and Cloudy Ammonia?
Ammonia is a clear solution and is also known as clear ammonia or non-sudsy ammonia, while cloudy ammonia is not clear (cloudy white/grey liquid) and is known as sudsy ammonia. The key difference between ammonia and cloudy ammonia is their composition. Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, while cloudy ammonia is a soap-added ammonia.
Moreover, ammonia contains pure ammonia with no impurities, while cloudy ammonia is ammonia with soap. When considering their cleaning properties, ammonia is an all-purpose cleaner, while cloudy ammonia is a cleaning agent for tough dirt. In addition, ammonia has many uses other than cleaning, whereas cloudy ammonia is strictly a cleaning agent.
Producing Ammonia requires an advanced process technique with experienced workers. Cloudy ammonia is commercially available, but it can be made at home by mixing ammonia with soap. Most importantly, ammonia is naturally present in the human body, and it is the building block for making proteins and other complex molecules. It is produced in the soil from bacteria processes and in the process of decaying plants, animals and animal wastes. On the other hand, cloudy ammonia is a man-made commercial product not present in nature.
The following table summarizes the difference between ammonia and cloudy ammonia.
Summary – Ammonia vs Cloudy Ammonia
The key difference between ammonia and cloudy ammonia is their composition. Ammonia is a compound made of nitrogen and hydrogen, while cloudy ammonia is a soap-added ammonia. When considering their cleaning properties, ammonia is an all-purpose cleaner, while cloudy ammonia is a cleaning agent for tough dirt.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Ammonia-2D” by Radio89 – Own work. (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons
2. “C. C. Parsons Household Ammonia [front]” by Boston Public Library (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
