Nitrous oxide, which is an oxide of nitrogen, is a chemical compound with the formula N2O. At room temperature it is a colourless and non-flammable gas with a pleasant, slightly sweet odour and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic effects. It is commonly known as ‘laughing gas’ due to the euphoric effects of inhaling nitrous oxide, a property that has led to its recreational use as a dissociative hallucinogen.
