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Chapter 3: Problem 71

When nitric acid ionizes in water, what ions are present in solution?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The ions present in solution when nitric acid ionizes in water are Hydrogen ions (\( H^+ \)) and Nitrate ions (\( NO_3^- \)).

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Nitric Acid Composition

Nitric acid has the chemical formula \( HNO_3 \). This indicates that each molecule of nitric acid consists of one Hydrogen atom (H), and a nitrate group (\( NO_3 \)) which consists of one Nitrogen atom (N) and three Oxygen atoms (O).
02

Understand Ionization

Ionization refers to the process where a compound splits up into simpler ions. In the context of nitric acid, it ionizes in water (a polar solvent) to produce hydrogen ions (\( H^+ \)) and nitrate ions (\( NO_3^- \)).
03

Identifying the Ions In the Solution

Nitric acid will dissociate fully in water since it is a strong acid. This means every nitric acid molecule will ionize into its constituent ions. Therefore, in solution, the ions present would be Hydrogen ions (\( H^+ \)) and Nitrate ions (\( NO_3^- \)).

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Chemical Formula
The chemical formula plays a crucial role in understanding what a substance is made of.
For nitric acid, its chemical formula is represented as \( HNO_3 \).
This formula gives us essential information about the molecules that make up nitric acid. Let's break it down:
  • The "H" stands for hydrogen, meaning each molecule of nitric acid has one hydrogen atom.
  • The "NO_3" is a group known as "nitrate," consisting of one nitrogen atom and three oxygen atoms.
Putting these together, nitric acid is composed of one hydrogen atom connected to a nitrate group.
Understanding this formula sets the stage for recognizing how nitric acid behaves, especially when it is dissolved in water.
Ionization Process
The ionization process is quite fascinating as it involves the transformation of a compound into ions.
When discussing nitric acid, this process becomes particularly interesting.
Ionization involves the separation of a molecule into its ionic components.

Let's see how this works for nitric acid in water:
  • Water acts as a solvent, and it's known for its polar properties.
  • These polar qualities help in dissolving substances like nitric acid.
  • During ionization, the hydrogen atom (H) separates from the rest of the molecule.
  • The remaining portion, which is the nitrate group \( (NO_3) \), also becomes an ion.
As a result, in the solution, two types of ions are present:
  • Hydrogen ions (\( H^+ \))
  • Nitrate ions (\( NO_3^- \))
This transformation is a key step in how nitric acid behaves in aqueous solutions.
Strong Acid Dissociation
Strong acid dissociation emphasizes the extent to which an acid can split into ions in water.
Nitric acid is classified as a strong acid, meaning it dissociates completely when introduced to water.
This complete dissociation is a defining feature of strong acids.

Here is what happens step-by-step with nitric acid:
  • Once in water, every molecule of nitric acid participates in the dissociation process.
  • This results in a full breakdown into hydrogen ions \( (H^+) \) and nitrate ions \( (NO_3^-) \).
  • No nitric acid molecules are left intact in the solution.
Due to this behavior, in a solution of nitric acid, the concentration is equally distributed between \( H^+ \) and \( NO_3^- \) ions.
This characteristic of dissociation is what gives strong acids like nitric acid their potent reactivity.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Based on their positions in the periodic table, predict the charge, write the formula, and name the monatomic ions of the following elements. (a) calcium (b) nitrogen (c) sulfur

Write formulas, including charge, for each of the following polyatomic ions. (a) nitrate (e) sulfate (b) sulfite (f) nitrite (c) ammonium (g) perchlorate (d) carbonate

Complete the following table by writing the names and formulas for the compounds formed when the cations listed across the top combine with the anions listed along the side.

Write formulas for the following acids. (a) hydrofluoric acid (b) sulfurous acid (c) perchloric acid

Write formulas for the following ionic compounds. (a) copper(II) bromide (b) iron(III) nitrate (c) chromium(VI) oxide (d) copper(II) chlorate
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