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Chapter 4: Problem 51

Nitric acid is a strong oxidizing agent. State which of the following species is least likely to be produced when nitric acid reacts with a strong reducing agent such as zinc metal, and explain why: \(\mathrm{N}_{2} \mathrm{O}\) \(\mathrm{NO}, \mathrm{NO}_{2}, \mathrm{~N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}, \mathrm{~N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{5}, \mathrm{NH}_{4}^{+}\).

Short Answer

Expert verified
The species least likely to be produced when nitric acid reacts with zinc is NH4+. This is because nitric acid is a strong oxidizing agent, and it's less likely to be reduced to a species like NH4+ that represents nitrogen in a much reduced state.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Redox Reactions

A redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction involves the transfer of electrons from one substance to another. In this context, an oxidizing agent is a substance that gains electrons and gets reduced, while a reducing agent is a substance that loses electrons and gets oxidized.
02

Recognizing the Role of Nitric Acid and Zinc

Nitric acid (HNO3) is a strong oxidizing agent, meaning it readily accepts electrons during a reaction. On the other hand, zinc metal (Zn) is a good reducing agent, meaning it readily donates electrons during a reaction. So, when nitric acid reacts with zinc, zinc is oxidized and nitric acid is reduced.
03

Analyzing the Nitrogen Species

Given the above reaction properties, the few possible nitrogen species we could get are NO, N2O, NO2, N2O4, N2O5, NH4+. Among these species, NH4+ (ammonium) is the only one that represents the nitrogen in a reduced state (charge of +1 versus the neutral charge of N in N2O, NO, NO2, N2O4, N2O5).
04

Identifying the Least Likely Species

Given that nitric acid is a strong oxidizing agent and zinc is a strong reducing agent, it's less likely for nitric acid to be reduced to a state as low as NH4+. Therefore, NH4+ is the least likely species to be produced when nitric acid reacts with zinc.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Oxalic acid \(\left(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}\right)\) is present in many plants and vegetables. If \(24.0 \mathrm{~mL}\) of \(0.0100 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{KMnO}_{4}\) solution is needed to titrate \(1.00 \mathrm{~g}\) of a sample of \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}\) to the equivalence point, what is the percent by mass of \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}\) in the sample? The net ionic equation is \(2 \mathrm{MnO}_{4}^{-}+16 \mathrm{H}^{+}+5 \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}^{2-} \longrightarrow\) \(2 \mathrm{Mn}^{2+}+10 \mathrm{CO}_{2}+8 \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}\)

Hydrochloric acid is not an oxidizing agent in the sense that sulfuric acid and nitric acid are. Explain why the chloride ion is not a strong oxidizing agent like \(\mathrm{SO}_{4}^{2-}\) and \(\mathrm{NO}_{3}^{-}\).

(a) Describe a preparation for magnesium hydroxide \(\left[\mathrm{Mg}(\mathrm{OH})_{2}\right]\) and predict its solubility. (b) Milk of magnesia contains mostly \(\mathrm{Mg}(\mathrm{OH})_{2}\) and is effective in treating acid (mostly hydrochloric acid) indigestion. Calculate the volume of a \(0.035 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HCl}\) solution (a typical acid concentration in an upset stomach) needed to react with two spoonfuls (approximately \(10 \mathrm{~mL}\) ) of milk of magnesia [at \(0.080 \mathrm{~g}\) \(\left.\mathrm{Mg}(\mathrm{OH})_{2} / \mathrm{mL}\right]\).

A \(15.00-\mathrm{mL}\) solution of potassium nitrate \(\left(\mathrm{KNO}_{3}\right)\) was diluted to \(125.0 \mathrm{~mL}\), and \(25.00 \mathrm{~mL}\) of this solution were then diluted to \(1.000 \times 10^{3} \mathrm{~mL}\). The con- centration of the final solution is \(0.00383 M\). Calculate the concentration of the original solution.

The concentration of sulfate in water can be determined by adding a solution of barium chloride to precipitate the sulfate ion. Write the net ionic equation for this reaction. Treating a 145-mL sample of water with excess \(\mathrm{BaCl}_{2}(a q)\) precipitated \(0.330 \mathrm{~g}\) of \(\mathrm{BaSO}_{4} .\) Determine the concentration of sulfate in the original water sample.
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