Home > Community > What is the product of a non-metal reaction with concentrated HNO3?
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+ Chemical reactions
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+ Nitric acid
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Margo Mayes

What is the product of a non-metal reaction with concentrated HNO3?

Dan Lazuran  Follow

HHO3 reacts with metal to give metal nitrate , nitrogen dioxide and water.

Metal + HNO3--> metal nitrate+ NO2 +H2O

Cu + 4HNO3--> Cu(HNO3)2 + 2NO2 + 2H2O

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Bright Odohofre  Follow

HNO3" role="presentation">HNO3 is Nitric acid - Wikipedia. It reacts with metals.

There's a section in the Wikipedia article explicitly describing how it oxidizes most metals and metalloids including but not limited to Mg, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ag, Fe, Pb, Co, Cr, Al, Ni, Sn, As, Sb, Ti; usually forming the corresponding metal nitrate. One of the only metals it won't react with is gold, which is known for being resistant to oxidation.

Before asking why HNO3" role="presentation">HNO3 does not react with metals, you should probably check whether it reacts with metals.

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Bill Walker  Follow

The first means nitric acid solvated in water. The second is the generic notation for nitric acid, the last is the notation for the concentration of nitric acid. While they alll basically mean the same thing (as “we are talking about nitric acid”) it is very important when discussing science to be as precise as we can. For instance, it doesnt make sense to make the last notation if we are discussing its structure, if you put the brackets, I am expecting you to discuss a value. Also, the brackets help if you need to differantiate between many samples of an experiment. Imagine the following: I am studying three different HNO3 solutions. How can I note them down? HNO31, HNO32 and HNO33. Confusing, right? What is this new compound where you have this large amount of oxigens? Now [HNO3]1 [HNO3]2 and [HNO3]3 is more visually pleasant, I know we are talking about the concentration of nitric acid and the numbers that come after must be something else than part of the compound.

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David Duryee  Follow

It’ll vary - the acid’s oxidising properties will lead to the likes of carbon, sulphur and phosphorus being oxidised to their highest oxidation states (to CO2, H2SO4 & H3PO4) whilst I2 is also oxidised to HIO3. Other halides, silicon and oxygen will not react at all though, whereas some organic compounds are violently oxidised to CO2 & water and others are nitrated (e.g toluene to TNT and glycerol to nitroglycerin - both powerful explosives).

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Bubba Bear Huntington  Follow

Solid nonmetals like carbon, phosphorus, sulphur and iodine react with concentrated nitric acid in very hot condition.

C + 4HNO3 → CO2 + 4NO2 + 2H2O

S + 6HNO3 → H2SO4 + 6NO2 + 2H2O

P + 5HNO3 → H3PO4 + 5NO2 + H2O

I2 + 10HNO3 → 2HIO3 +10NO2 + 4H2O

These are redox reactions in which each nonmetal is oxidised to its respective higher oxide/oxoacid by the acid and the latter is reduced to nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

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Bryan Katz  Follow

This is a titration reaction in which HNO3 is concentrated acid and NaHCO3 ( Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate). Follow the below reaction,

HNO3 + NaHCO3 ——→ NaNO3 + H2O + CO2

According to above reaction you may get Sodium Nitrate, water and carbon dioxide.

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David Lovering  Follow

Take the it the way you want xD. Why asking us?

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Alan Brown  Follow

Nitric acid, in addition to being a strong acid, is also a strong oxidant ( oxidising agent. ) While the H+ ions in the acid cannot cause e.g. Cu atoms, or atoms of any metal, like Cu, whose ions lie below H+ in a table of Standard Reduction Potentials, to donate electrons to them so they become H2 gas, the nitrate anions can accept the metals electrons and convert to NO2. The H+ ions in the acid latch on to the remaining nitrate O s to form H2O.

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Christie Aguilar  Follow

The following three metals are known to liberate hydrogen from very dilute nitric acid:

(1) magnesium

(2) manganese

(3) zinc.

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Dave Saruya  Follow

HNO3 or Nitric Acid reacts with Metals to reduce hydrogen ions to hydrogen gas i.e H+ ions from the Nitric Acid.

Refer my answer, in case, you require a detailed explanation: How does the pH change with a hydrogen ion concentration?

The metal on reaction with the acid, oxidises to form positive ions as it loses electrons. This results in formation of lower compounds of nitrogen like nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide as well as evolution of H2 gas.

Non-metals do not form positive ions and hence, electron loss is absent. This is the primary cause for HNO3 not reacting with non-metals, although variation do occur.

Thanks for A2A.

Hope your query is answered. :-)

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