An acid has a pH below 7 as opposed to a base substance, which has pH of above 7. The pH scale is a logarithmic scale from 0 to The scale indicates whether a solution of a substance either tends to donate hydrogen proton ions or accepts hydrogen ions.
In order to calculate the pH of an aqueous water-based solution, you need to know the concentration of the hydronium ion in terms of mole per litre. The computation is based on this formula:. Nitric acid is a relatively simple compound containing only three elements: hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Chemically, its formula is written as HNO 3. You can see that nitrogen is at the centre and one oxygen is double-bonded with the nitrogen, while the other two oxygen atoms are single-bonded.
They are in what is called a trigonal planar form a molecular shape in which there are three bonds and no lone pairs around the central atom while the hydrogen is attached to one of the oxygen atoms.
This arrangement is crucial in the reactivity of the compound. When it disintegrates, nitric acid produces water and nitrogen dioxide.
For instance, when nitric acid reacts with copper , the balanced chemical reaction can be written as:. Nitrogen dioxide is liberated as a noxious brown gas while cupric nitrate is formed as a blue precipitate. During the reaction, the solution will first turn green, then greenish-brown before finally turning blue as it is diluted with water. Just like in other acid-metal reactions, the process is exothermic, releasing excess heat energy. When dissolved in water, strong acids dissociate their ions completely.
Nitric acid is a strong acid and it is one of the seven strong acids. All other acids are weak ones. The other strong acids are the following:. Nitric acid is present in small amounts of rain. It is most effective in this concentration.
Learn more. Why is nitric acid such a strong oxidizing agent? Ask Question. Asked 9 years, 5 months ago. Active 3 years ago. Viewed 31k times.
Improve this question. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. Improve this answer. ManishEarth ManishEarth Waif Waif 86 6 6 bronze badges. Upon distillation, nitric acid in its pure form begins to boil at Nitric acid is a strong oxidizing agent. It ionizes readily in solution, forming a good conductor of electricity.
It reacts with metals, oxides, and hydroxides, forming nitrate salts. Chief uses of nitric acid are in the preparation of fertilizers, e. It is also used in the manufacture of chemicals, e. Nitric acid is produced chiefly by oxidation of ammonia through the Ostwald process. Small amounts are produced by the treatment of sodium nitrate with sulfuric acid. Nitric acid is also a component of acid rain. Please call for details.
Nitric acid is shipped in bulk, totes IBC tanks and drums. Nitric acid is also commonly used as a strong oxidizing agent. Nitric acid is made by the reaction of nitrogen dioxide NO 2 with water. Normally, the nitric oxide produced by the reaction is re-oxidized by the oxygen in air to produce additional nitrogen dioxide.
Adding sulfuric acid to a nitrate salt and heating the mixture with an oil bath can make almost pure nitric acid. A condenser is used to condense the nitric acid fumes that bubble out of the solution. Dissolved nitrogen oxides are either stripped in the case of white fuming nitric acid, or remain in solution to form red fuming nitric acid. More recently, electrochemical means have been developed to produce anhydrous acid from concentrated nitric acid feedstock. Production of nitric acid is via the Ostwald process, named after German chemist Wilhelm Ostwald.
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