Question

Write four Properties of Nitric Acid.

Answer 1

Nitric acid:

• Nitric acid is an inorganic compound of formula
• It is a monobasic acid of PH approximately $3.01$.
• It is highly corrosive in nature.
• The colour of nitric acid turns yellow when exposed to oxygen.
• It can be manufactured by the catalytic oxidation of ammonia.
• It is a common reagent used to manufacture explosives and fertilizers.
• 

Properties of nitric acid:

• Its boiling point is $355.6\mathrm{K}$, whereas its freezing point is $231.4\mathrm{K}$. It appears to be colourless.
• Conc. nitric acid is a strong oxidizing agent. Any metal can be oxidised by it (it cannot oxidise noble metals like $\mathrm{Pt}$)
• Non-metals can also be oxidised using concentrated nitric acid. Nitric acid, has the ability to oxidise iodine to iodic acid.
• Nitric acid in an aqueous solution can produce both hydronium and nitrate ions, making it a highly acidic substance.
• Nitric acid is a very strong acid, that turns blue litmus red.
• On standing, nitric acid breaks down into brown nitrogen dioxide. Despite the fact that fresh nitric acid is colourless, this is why it gradually starts to turn brown.
  $$\begin{gathered} 4{\mathrm{HNO}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)\to 4{\mathrm{NO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)+{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)+2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right) \\ (\mathrm{Nitric}\mathrm{acid})(\mathrm{Nitrogen}(\mathrm{Oxygen}\mathrm{gas})(\mathrm{Water}) \\ \mathrm{dioxide}) \end{gathered}$$