/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 71 When nitric acid ionizes in wate... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91影视

91影视

Log out

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

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 (\( NO_3^- \)).

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91影视!

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.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Suppose you need some iron(III) chloride for an experiment. When you go to the stockroom, there is one bottle labeled \(\mathrm{FeCl}_{2}\) and another with the formula \(\mathrm{FeCl}_{3}\). Which bottle should you select?

The selenite ion is an oxoanion of selenium bearing a negative two \((2-)\) charge and containing three oxygen atoms. Write the formula for the selenite ion.

Write the formula for each of the following. (a) sodium carbonate (e) sulfur trioxide (b) sodium bicarbonate (f) copper(II) sulfate (c) carbonic acid (g) sulfuric acid (d) hydrofluoric acid (h) hydrosulfuric acid

Write formulas for the following ionic compounds. (a) potassium bicarbonate (b) sodium oxide (c) ammonium hydroxide (d) magnesium bromide (e) sodium hypochlorite

Determine what ions are present when each of the following dissociates or ionizes in water. (a) \(\mathrm{HCl}\) (d) \(\mathrm{KNO}_{3}\) (b) \(\mathrm{NaOH}\) (e) \(\mathrm{Na}_{3} \mathrm{PO}_{4}\) (c) \(\mathrm{CaCl}_{2}\)
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Physical Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Making Measurements

Read Explanation

Chemistry Branches

Read Explanation

Inorganic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Reactions

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.