Nitric Acid and Nitrous Acid | HNO3, HNO2
Nitric acid and nitrous acid are mono basic oxoacids of nitrogen. But they are very different in chemical and physical properties. Nitric acid is widely used in chemical industry for producing other chemicals. Also nitric acid is used as an strong acid and oxidizing acid in laboratories.
In this tutorial, we are leaning about characteristics, preparation and some reactions of HNO3 and HNO2 acids.
Nitrous acid | nitrc(iii) acid | HNO2
Physical properties of HNO2
An unstable acid - Decomposition of nitrous acid
HNO2 decomposes to HNO3, NO, H2O when temperature is increased in the solution.
A weak acid
HNO2 does not dissociate completely in the water. Therefore its aqueous solution H+ concentration is very less when it compare with HNO2 concentration.
Colourless
Chemical properties of HNO2
Nitrous acid can be oxidized because nitrogen atom is at +3 oxidation state. Therefore HNO2 can reduce acidic potassium permanganate ( H+ / KMnO4 ).
Preparation of nitrous acid
Due to unstability of nitrous acid, it is not stored in the laboratory. At requirement, we prepare the nitrous acid as below.
Heating sodium nitrate (NaNO3) | decomposition
Solid sodium nitrate (NaNO3) is heated to decompose solid sodium nitrite (NaNO2) and oxygen (O2) gas. This reaction is a redox reaction (oxidation - reduction reaction)
Dissolving in water
Solid sodium nitrite is dissolved in water to prepare aqueous sodium nitrite. No reaction is occurred in this step.
Cold dilute HCl and NaNO2 reaction
Add cold dilute HCl to aqueous sodium nitrite solution. It gives dilute nitrous acid and NaCl solution.
Nitric acid | nitric(v) acid | HNO3
Physical properties of nitric acid
- A strong acid
- Boiling point is 860C.
- Oxidizing acid
- Concentrated HNO3 has a strong oxidizing capability and diluted HNO3 has a certain ability.
- Colourless solution. But when nitric acid solution bottles exposed to the sunlight, HNO3 decomposes and produce nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Therefore bottles of nitric in the laboratories are in yellow colour.
Preparation of nitric acid
Concentrated sulfuric acid and sodium nitrate reaction | H2SO4 + NaNO3(s)
Add concentrated H2SO4 acid to the solid NaNO3(s) and distill the mixture.
In industrial production of HNO3
Ostwald process is used in industry to production of nitric acid. Ammonia and oxygen are used as raw materials in the presence of Pt / Rh catalyst. Higher temperatures and pressure are applied in the production to get a successful yield.
Decomposition of nitric acid
When the temperature of the acid solution increases, nitrous acid starts to decomposes to nitrogen dioxide, oxygen and water. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a brown gas.
Questions
What is more acid? nitrous acid or nitric acid
Nitric acid is a strong acid. But nitrous acid is a weak acid. Therefore acidic strength of nitric acid is much higher than nitrous acid.
Why nitric acid is much acidic than nitrous acid?
When oxidation number increases, acidic characteristics increases. Oxidation number of nitrogen in nitric acid is +5 while it is +3 in nitrous acid. That is a one reason why nitric acid is much acidic than nitrous acid.
oxidation state of nitrogen in HNO3?
Oxidation state of HNO3 is +5. So nitrogen atom cannot be oxidized furthermore. Due to +5 oxidation state, nitric acid shows strong acidic properties.
what is hno2 in chemistry?
HNO2 is an oxo acid of nitrogen and it is a weak acid. HNO2 is also named as nitrous acid or nitric(III) acid.
How nitric acid and nitrous acid solution is formed?
Aqueous nitrous acid is decomposed to nitric acid when temperature is increased. So after preparation of nitrous acid, nitric acid and nitrous acid solution mixture can be given.
hno3 + hno2 what will happen?
A strong acidic solution is given.
HNO2 organic or inorganic ?
HNO2 does not contain carbon as a element. So HNO2 is an inorganic compound.
nitrous acid strong or weak?
Nitrous acid is a weak monobasic acid.
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