Question

Heating ammonium cyanate to produce urea is an example of what type of a chemical reaction ?

Answer 1

1. Ammonium cyanate (${\mathrm{NH}}_4\mathrm{CNO}$) on heating gives Urea(${\mathrm{NH}}_2{\mathrm{CONH}}_2$).
2. The reaction is also called as Wohler's synthesis.
3. It was the first reaction in laboratory to produce organic compound namely Urea from an inorganic compound namely Ammonium cyanate.
4. This reaction is an example for isomerization reaction.

Reaction: $$\begin{gathered} {\mathrm{NH}}_4\mathrm{CNO}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)\stackrel{∆}{\to }{\mathrm{NH}}_2-\mathrm{CO}-{\mathrm{NH}}_2\left(\mathrm{s}\right) \\ (\mathrm{Ammonium}\mathrm{cyanate})\left(\mathrm{Urea}\right) \end{gathered}$$

Therefore, heating ammonium cyanate to produce urea is an example of isomerization type of a chemical reaction.