General Chemistry

Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) is neither an acid nor a base; it is classified as a salt. To understand the nature of sodium nitrate, we need to consider its dissociation in water and the properties of its constituent ions.

When sodium nitrate dissolves in water, it dissociates into sodium ions (Na+) and nitrate ions (NO3-). The dissociation can be represented by the following chemical equation:

NaNO3(s) &rarr; Na+(aq) + NO3-(aq)

The sodium ion (Na+) is the cation from a strong base, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and the nitrate ion (NO3-) is the anion from a strong acid, nitric acid (HNO3). However, when these ions are in solution, they do not significantly react with water to form hydroxide (OH-) or hydronium (H3O+) ions. This is because both NaOH and HNO3 are strong electrolytes that completely dissociate in water, and their respective ions are stable in solution.

The nature of a salt as acidic, basic, or neutral depends on the strength of the acid and base from which it is derived. In the case of sodium nitrate:

1. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a strong base, meaning it completely dissociates into Na+ and OH- ions in water.

2. Nitric acid (HNO3) is a strong acid, meaning it completely dissociates into H+ (which combines with water to form H3O+) and NO3- ions in water.

Since both the parent acid and base are strong, the resulting salt solution is neutral. Neither the Na+ nor the NO3- ions react significantly with water to change the pH. Therefore, an aqueous solution of sodium nitrate is neutral, with a pH close to 7.

bIn summary, sodium nitrate is a neutral salt that results from the neutralization reaction between a strong acid (nitric acid) and a strong base (sodium hydroxide). Its nature is determined by the fact that it does not alter the concentration of hydrogen or hydroxide ions in an aqueous solution, resulting in a pH that is neither acidic nor basic.

Question

Is NaNO3 (sodium nitrate) classified as an acid or base, and what determines its nature?

Solution

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