Question

State True or False.

Nitrous acid acts both as an oxidising and a reducing agent.

• A. True
• B. False

Answer 1

The correct option is A True

The given statement is true.
Nitrous acid acts both as an oxidising and a reducing agent.
(a) As an oxidising agent:
Decomposition of nitrous acid gives nascent oxygen.
$2HN{O}_2\to 2NO+H_{2}O+\left(O\right)$
$H_{2}S+\left(O\right)\to H_{2}O+S$
(b) As a reducing agent:
$B{r}_2+H_{2}O+HN{O}_2\to HN{O}_3+2HBr$