Some Common Nitrates

Potassium Nitrate

The common name of potassium nitrate is Bengal salt petre or nitre. It can be prepared by treating the oxide, hydroxide, carbonate or hydrogen carbonate salts of potassium with nitric acid.

It is a colorless crystalline solid, soluble in water. When heated, it first melts and then decomposes to give potassium nitrite and oxygen.

uses:

*Potassium nitrate is used in the preparation of gun powder (mixture of charcoal, sulphur and *potassium nitrate) and other explosives. When gun powder is ignited, it explodes.

*It is also used in salting and pickling of meats, to which it imparts a red color.

*It is used in pyrotechnics and also as a fertilizer.

Sodium Nitrate

The common name of sodium nitrate is "Chile salt Petre". It is found in large quantity in Chile in South America. It can be prepared by treating the oxide, hydroxide, carbonate or hydrogen carbonate salts of sodium with nitric acid.

It is a colorless crystalline solid, highly soluble in water. When heated, just like the potassium salt, it melts and then decomposes to give sodium nitrite and oxygen.

Sodium nitrate is slightly deliquescent and gets wet. Hence it cannot be used in making gun powder like the potassium salt.

Uses

When dry sodium nitrate is mixed with charcoal, sulphur etc. and ignited or heated, it catches fire and burns very vigorously. Hence it is used in fire works to a limited extent.

It is used as a fertilizer.

It is used in the manufacturing of nitric acid etc.

Magnesium Nitrate

Magnesium nitrate is prepared by treating magnesium, or its oxide or hydroxide or carbonate salt with dilute nitric acid.

It is a colorless, deliquescent solid, highly soluble in water.

When heated it decomposes to form the oxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxygen.

Zinc Nitrate

Zinc nitrate is prepared by dissolving zinc, or its oxide, hydroxide or carbonate salt in dilute nitric acid.

Zinc nitrate is a colorless solid, very deliquescent and highly soluble in water.

When heated it decomposes as follows:

Lead Nitrate

Lead nitrate is prepared by dissolving lead, or its oxide or carbonate salt in dilute nitric acid.

Lead nitrate is a colorless crystalline solid, soluble in water. It decrepitates when heated and decomposes as follows:

Uses

It is used in explosives.

Copper Nitrate

Copper nitrate is prepared by dissolving copper, or its oxide or carbonate salt in nitric acid.

Copper nitrate is a blue deliquescent crystalline solid, containing three molecules of water of crystallisation. It is highly soluble in water and in alcohol.

When heated it decomposes as follows:

Silver Nitrate

Silver nitrate is called lunar caustic. It is prepared by dissolving silver in warm, moderately dilute nitric acid.

Silver nitrate is a colorless crystalline solid, soluble in water and alcohol. It is corrosive in nature. When heated it decomposes in two stages.

Uses

It is used in photography.

It is used in silvering mirrors.

It is used in making marking ink etc.

Ammonium Nitrate

Ammonium nitrate is prepared by treating ammonia or ammonium hydroxide with nitric acid.

It is a colorless crystalline solid, very highly soluble in water. When heated, it first melts and then decomposes as follows:

Uses

Ammonium nitrate is used in pyrotechnics

It is used in freezing mixture.

It is a good fertilizer.

It is used as a powerful explosive.

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