Nitrous Oxide commonly known as happy gas or laughing gas, is a chemical compound with the chemical formula N2O. N2O is a nontoxic, colorless, oxidizing, liquified gas with a slightly sweetish taste and odor Applications Used in optical spectrometry as an instrumentation gas; Used in atomic absorption for elemental analysis as an instrumentation gas; Component in industrial hygiene gas mixtures. Used as the oxidizing agent of combustion gases for atomic absorption spectrometry. Used in medical applications, and in certain food processing applications. In semiconductor fabrication: Oxygen source for Chemical Vapor Deposition ( CVD) of silicon dioxide, SiO2.