Nitric acid

Nitric acid is a corrosive mineral acid with formula HNO₃. It is a strong acid and oxidizing agent used in fertilizer production, chemical synthesis, and metal processing.

Nitric acid dissociation: The ionization of nitric acid in water to form hydronium and nitrate ions. This near-complete ionization accounts for nitric acid’s strong acidity in aqueous solution.
Haber–Bosch process: An industrial process that synthesizes ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen. Ammonia from this process is the main feedstock for large-scale nitric acid production.
Jabir ibn Hayyan: An eighth- to ninth-century alchemist traditionally associated with early Arabic works on chemical substances and techniques. Medieval traditions associated with Jabir include descriptions of mineral acids related to nitric acid.
Hydrochloric acid: A strong aqueous acid with formula HCl, composed of hydrogen and chloride ions in solution. It is strongly acidic but lacks nitric acid’s characteristic oxidizing power.
Green Revolution: A period of agricultural intensification driven by high-yield crops, irrigation, and increased fertilizer use. Nitric-acid-derived nitrogen fertilizers helped raise crop yields during this transformation.
Nitrate: The polyatomic ion NO₃⁻, the conjugate base of nitric acid. Nitrate is the principal ion formed when nitric acid donates a proton.
Ostwald process: An industrial process that oxidizes ammonia to produce nitric acid. This is the dominant manufacturing route for nitric acid.
Alchemical distillation: A laboratory technique that separates or transforms substances by heating vapor and condensing it. Distillation methods enabled the preparation of nitric acid from nitrate minerals and other reagents.
Sulfuric acid: A strong diprotic mineral acid with formula H₂SO₄, widely used in chemical manufacturing. It is another major industrial acid, with different acid-base and dehydrating properties.
Explosives: Materials or mixtures that release energy rapidly through a chemical reaction or physical transformation. Nitration chemistry using nitric acid underpins the manufacture of many energetic materials.

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