Question

Nitrogen of the air enters the soil as nitric acid. Give balance equation to show the conversion of nitrogen to nitric acid.

Answer 1

The conversion of Nitrogen into Nitric acid is shown below.

Step-I : In the first step Nitrogen with air forms Nitrogen Monoxide in presence of thunder or lightening.

Step II: Nitrogen Monoxide further produces Nitrogen dioxide with Oxygen.

Step III: Nitrogen dioxide in presence of water and Oxygen turns into Nitric acid.

${\mathrm{N}}_2+{\mathrm{O}}_2(\mathrm{in}\mathrm{air})\stackrel{\mathrm{Thunder},\mathrm{Lightening}}{\to }\stackrel{}{2\mathrm{NO}}$

$2\mathrm{NO}+{\mathrm{O}}_2\to 2{\mathrm{NO}}_2$

$4{\mathrm{NO}}_2+2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}+{\mathrm{O}}_2\to 4{\mathrm{HNO}}_3$

(Nitric acid)