Nitric Acid Chemical Reactions

Some of the common chemical reactions of nitric acid are:

Reaction with Metals

Nitric acid releases the hydrogen gas with the metals above hydrogen element in the metal activity series. For example-

Mg + 2HNO₃ → Mg(NO₃)₂ + H₂

Mn + 2HNO₃ → Mn(NO₃)₂ + H₂

Reaction with Water

Nitric acid can be decomposed easily to form brown nitrogen dioxide with the help of heat or light.

4HNO₃ + 2H₂O → 4NO₂ + O₂

Reaction with Ammonia

Ammonia on treatment with nitric acid, neutralizes the acid and forms ammonium nitrate.

NH₃ + HNO₃ → NH₄NO₃

Reaction with Sodium Hydroxide

Nitric acid reacts with bases like NaOH to form salts like NaNO₃ and water. This is a neutralization reaction, and it is a common way to prepare nitrates from nitric acid.

NaOH + HNO₃ → NaNO₃ + H₂O

Reaction with Zinc

Zinc reacts with concentrated HNO₃ to form nitrogen dioxide:

Zn + 4HNO₃(conc.) → Zn(NO₃)₂ + 2H₂O + 2NO₂ ↑

Zinc reacts with dilute HNO₃ to form nitrous oxide:

4Zn + 10HNO₃(dil.) → 4Zn(NO₃)₂ + 5H₂O + N₂O ↑

Reaction with Copper

Copper reacts with HNO₃ to form copper nitrate:

Cu + 4HNO₃ → Cu(NO₃)₂ + 2NO₂ + 2H₂O

Nitric Acid Decomposition Reaction

Nitric Acid decomposes into Nitrogen Dioxide which is brown in colour. The decomposition reaction of Nitric Acid is given below:

4HNO₃ → 4NO₂ + O₂ + 2H₂O

Nitric Acid is a powerful and highly corrosive acid with the chemical formula HNO₃. Nitric Acid is a colorless liquid that can range from pale yellow to reddish-brown due to decomposition into nitrogen dioxide and water. Nitric acid is a key reagent in the chemical industry, playing a crucial role in the production of fertilizers, explosives, and various other chemicals.

Nitric acid (HNO₃) is a strong mineral acid known for its corrosive and highly reactive properties. Nitric Acid is also known as the Spirit of Niter and Aqua Fortis because of its ability to dissolve metals, particularly copper and silver. In this article, we will study in detail about Niitric Acid, the physical, and chemical properties of Nitric Acid, and the different applications of Nitric Acid.