NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Nitrate ion

In inorganic chemistry, a nitrate is a salt of nitric acid. In organic chemistry the esters of nitric acid and various alcohols are called nitrates. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (751x714, 303 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nitrate ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (751x714, 303 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nitrate ... Electric potential is the potential energy per unit of charge associated with a static (time-invariant) electric field, also called the electrostatic potential, typically measured in volts. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1100x1003, 22 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nitrate ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1100x1003, 22 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nitrate ... Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and reactions of inorganic compounds. ... A magnified crystal of a salt (halite/sodium chloride) Salt covering the floor of Bad Water in Death Valley, CA, the lowest point in the US. A salt, in chemistry, is any ionic compound composed of cations (positively charged ions) and anions (negative ions) so that the product is neutral... The chemical compound nitric acid (HNO3), also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen nitrate (anhydrous nitric acid). ... Organic chemistry is a specific discipline within the subject of chemistry. ... For the Biblical Ester, see Esther. ... In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-khwl الكحول, or al-ghawl الغول) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ...

Chemical properties

The nitrate ion is a polyatomic ion with the empirical formula N O₃⁻ and a molecular mass of 62.0049. It consists of one central nitrogen atom surrounded by three identical oxygen atoms in a trigonal planar arrangement. The nitrate ion carries a negative one formal charge and can be represented as a hybrid of the following resonance structures: A polyatomic ion is an ion consisting of a molecule with covalently bonded atoms or of a metal complex that can be considered as acting as a single unit in the context of acid and base chemistry or in the formation of salts. ... Multivalent redirects here. ... In chemistry, the empirical formula of a chemical is a simple expression of the relative number of each type of atom (called a chemical element) in it. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 14. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ... The molecular mass (abbreviated MM) of a substance, formerly also called molecular weight and abbreviated as MW, is the mass of one molecule of that substance, relative to the unified atomic mass unit u (equal to 1/12 the mass of one atom of carbon-12). ... Atomic redirects here. ... ÇƒÇÉšÉµ A generic trigonal planar molecule showing ideal bond angle. ... In chemistry, a formal charge (FC) on an atom in a molecule is defined as: FC = number of valence electrons of the atom - number of Lone pair electrons on this atom - half the total number of electrons participating in covalent bonds with this atom. ... Resonance structures are diagrammatic tools in organic chemistry to symbolize resonant bonds between atoms in molecules. ...

The nitrate ion is the conjugate base of nitric acid. A nitrate salt forms when a positively charged ion attaches to the negatively charged oxygen atoms of the ion, forming an ionic compound. Almost all nitrates are soluble in water at standard temperature and pressure. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3022x796, 9 KB) * Description: Resonance structures of the nitrate ion. ... Within the BrÃ¸nsted-Lowry (protonic) theory of acids and bases, a conjugate acid is the acid member, HX, of a pair of two compounds that transform into each other by gain or loss of a proton. ... A chemical compound is a chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemically bonded chemical elements, with a fixed ratio determining the composition. ... It has been suggested that Solid solubility be merged into this article or section. ... Water is a chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of life. ... Temperature and air pressure can vary from one place to another on the Earth, and can also vary in the same place with time. ...

In organic chemistry a nitrate is a functional group with general chemical formula RONO₂ where R stands for any organic residue. They are the esters of nitric acid and alcohols formed by nitroxylation. Examples are methyl nitrate formed by reaction of methanol and nitric acid ^[1], the nitrate of tartaric acid ^[2] and the inappropriately named nitroglycerin. Organic chemistry is a specific discipline within the subject of chemistry. ... In organic chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules, that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. ... For the Biblical Ester, see Esther. ... In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-khwl الكحول, or al-ghawl الغول) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ... Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol or wood spirits, is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH. It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colourless, flammable, poisonous liquid with a distinctive odor that is somewhat milder and sweeter than ethanol (ethyl alcohol). ... Tartaric acid or H2C4H4O6 is a white crystalline organic acid. ... Nitroglycerin (NG), also known as nitroglycerine, trinitroglycerin, and glyceryl trinitrate, is a chemical compound. ...

Occurrence and history

Solid nitrates are not very abundant in Nature as they are very soluble. They can appear where nitrogen-containing ground water is evaporating (e.g. in soils of arid regions, on animal shed walls). Nitrification bacteria in the soil are also needed for the process. The first commercially exploited source was India. While the British Empire had a reliable supply, the continental powers had to collect scrapings from walls and barns, install saltpetre farms (based on aging and leaching manure and urine). The famed tax-collecting duties of Lavoisier actually consisted of being the commissioner of this Saltpeter Administration. Later the large deposits of sodium nitrate in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile acquired economic significance. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1550x1075, 285 KB) Summary Annual mean sea surface nitrate from the World Ocean Atlas 2001. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1550x1075, 285 KB) Summary Annual mean sea surface nitrate from the World Ocean Atlas 2001. ... The term World Ocean refers to the interconnected system of the planet Earths marine waters. ... Nitrogen cycle Nitrification is the biological oxidation of ammonia with oxygen into nitrite followed by the oxidation of these nitrites into nitrates. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier (August 26, 1743 - May 8, 1794) was a French nobleman prominent in the histories of chemistry, finance, biology, and economics. ... Inhalation respiratory irritation Skin May cause irritation. ... The Atacama desert of Chile is a virtually rainless plateau made up of salt basins (salares), sand, and lava flows, extending from the Andes mountains to the Pacific Ocean. ...

Until early in the 20th century there was no means of chemical synthesis of nitrates. Chile was a major exporter, and European countries with burgeoning populations due to the industrial revolution were dependent on its nitrates for use as fertilizer to feed their people. They were needed for modern military explosives as well. These two critical uses proved to be crucial in world history -- almost. Had the Germans not devised the Haber and Ostwald processes for producing nitrate, they would not have been able to feed their civilian population and armies, nor continued to make explosives. The First World War might have ended as a direct result of embargo of essential raw materials. With the aid of organic chemistry, however, the war continued. Nowadays most nitrates are produced from ammonia synthesized from atmospheric nitrogen. The Haber Process (also known as Haberâ€“Bosch process and Fritz Haber Process) is the reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen to produce ammonia. ... The Ostwald process is chemical process for producing nitric acid, which was developed by Wilhelm Ostwald (patented 1902). ... Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. ...

Uses

Agriculture

Nitrates such as potassium nitrate (saltpeter) and ammonium nitrate are important nitrogen carriers in fertilizers; lesser amounts of calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate and sodium nitrate are applied. These nitrates must be used quickly by plants because they are easily lost through leaching or denitrification by bacteria. Nitrate pollution has become an environmental issue in rivers and oceans. According to the Black Hawk County Green Party, the Cedar River (Iowa) has the highest nitrate levels of any river in the world. R-phrases S-phrases Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, Îµr, etc. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 14. ... spreading manure, an organic fertilizer Fertilizers (British English fertilisers) are compounds given to plants to promote growth; they are usually applied either via the soil, for uptake by plant roots, or by foliar feeding, for uptake through leaves. ... Calcium nitrate, also called Norgessalpeter (Norwegian saltpeter) and Kalksalpeter, is a soluble salt with the formula Ca(NO3)2. ... Magnesium nitrate is a hygroscopic salt with the formula Mg(NO3)2. ... Inhalation respiratory irritation Skin May cause irritation. ... Leaching is the process of extracting a substance from a solid by dissolving it in a liquid. ... Denitrification is the process of reducing nitrate, a form of nitrogen available for consumption by many groups of organisms, into gaseous nitrogen, which is far less accessible to life forms but makes up the bulk of our atmosphere. ... Pollution is the release of environmental contaminants. ... The historic Blue Marble photograph, which helped bring environmentalism to the public eye. ... River Gambia flowing through Niokolokoba National Park A river is a large natural waterway. ... Oceans (from Okeanos in Greek) are saline waters that cover almost three quarters (71%) of the surface of the Earth. ... Black Hawk County is a county located in the northeastern part of U.S. state of Iowa. ... In United States politics, the Green Party has been active as a third party since the 1980s. ... Cedar River at the Ramsey Mill Pond near Austin, Minnesota. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Explosives

Nitrates are also oxidizing agent with hydrocarbons or carbohydrates, nitrates can form a flammable or even explosive mixture. For example, potassium nitrate is the oxidizing ingredient in black gunpowder. The most fundamental reactions in chemistry are the redox processes. ... Hydrocarbons are refined at oil refineries and processed at chemical plants A hydrocarbon is a chemical compound that consists only of the elements carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). ... Lactose is a disaccharide found in milk. ... Flammable or Flammability refers to the ease at which a substance will ignite, causing fire or combustion. ... This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... Smokeless powder Gunpowder, whether black powder or smokeless powder, is a substance that burns very rapidly, releasing gases that act as a propellant in firearms. ...

Food

Nitrates are also used in curing meats. This is done to prevent the growth of bacteria responsible for botulism poisoning. In fact, it is nitrite that kills the bacteria, but nitrate salts are added as these convert into nitrite over time. In food preparation, curing refers to various preservation and flavoring processes, especially of meat or fish, by the addition of a combination of salt, sugar and either nitrate or nitrite. ... Botulism (from Latin botulus, sausage) is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin, botulin, that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. ...

History

The first organic nitrate was discovered by Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero in 1847. He was a chemistry professor at the University of Torino and worked under Théophile-Jules Pelouze who himself had worked on discovery of explosives. Sobrero called the discovered compound pyroglycerin and surprisingly in private correspondence as well scientific papers advocated against its use considering it too dangerous to handle and use. He described strong headache after putting nitroglycerin on the tongue. Ascanio Sobrero (1812-1888) was an Italian chemist who discovered nitroglycerin in 1847 while working under ThÃ©ophile-Jules Pelouze at the University of Torino, who had worked with the explosive material guncotton. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... ThÃ©ophile-Jules Pelouze (also known as Jules Pelouze, ThÃ©ophile Pelouze, Theo Pelouze, or TJ Pelouze) was a French chemist. ...

In 1849 German Constantin Hering, tested nitroglycerin in healthy volunteers and he also observed headaches with its use. As a homeopath he thought it a good remedy for headaches (reasoning that "like cures like"). 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A Homeopath is a homeopathic practitioner. ...

Later, in 1859 Frederick Guthrie worked with amyl nitrate and noticed that accidental inhalation of it led to face and neck flushing and heart palpitations. It was linked with vasodilatation. This inspired T. Lauder Brunton to use amyl nitrate in coronary heart disease. In 1867 he published in the Lancet a scientific paper On the Use of Nitrite of Amyl in Angina Pectoris (1867;ii:97-98) . Another therapeutic observation was tolerance with repeated use. 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... Frederick Guthrie was a scientific writer and professor in London who lived from 1833 to 1886. ... The Lancet is one of the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed medical journals in the world, published weekly by Elsevier, part of Reed Elsevier. ...

Use

In medicine, organic nitrates such as glyceryl trinitrate, isosorbide mononitrate (ISMN) and isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) are particularly useful for prevention and treatment of angina pectoris. However they can cause a dangerous reaction if taken within 24 hours of taking sildenafil citrate (Viagra) or similar drugs. A list is available at ATC code C01#C01DA Organic nitrates. Nitrate poisoning (acquired methemoglobinemia) can be treated with Methylene blue. Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) has been used to treat angina and heart failure for over 130 years, despite this the mechanism of nitric oxide (NO) generation from GTN and the metabolic consequences of this bioactivation are still not entirely understood. ... Isosorbide mononitrate is a drug used principally in the treatment of angina pectoris and acts by dilating the blood vessels so as to reduce the blood pressure. ... Action: Relaxation of smooth muscle of venous and arterial vasculature. ... Sildenafil citrate, sold under the name Viagra, is a drug used to treat male erectile dysfunction (impotence), developed by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. ... A section of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Methylene blue is an heterocyclic aromatic chemical compound with molecular formula: C16H18ClN3S. It has many uses in a range of different fields, such as biology or chemistry. ...

Related materials

Nitrates should not be confused with nitrites, the salts of nitrous acid. Organic compounds containing the nitro functional group (which has the same formula and structure as the nitrate ion save that one of the O⁻ atoms is replaced by the R group) are known as nitro compounds. // Definition The nitrite ion is NO2âˆ’. A nitrite compound is one that contains this group, either an ionic compound, or an analogous covalent one. ... Nitrous acid (molecular formula HNO2) is a weak monobasic acid known only in solution and in the form of nitrite salts. ... Benzene is the simplest of the arenes, a family of organic compounds An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon and hydrogen; therefore, carbides, carbonates, carbon oxides and elementary carbon are not organic (see below for more on the definition controversy... In organic chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules, that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. ... Nitro compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more nitro functional groups (-NO2). ...

Effects on aquatic life

In freshwater or estuarine systems close to land, nitrate can reach high levels that can potentially cause the death of fish. While nitrate is much less toxic than ammonia or nitrite, levels over 30 ppm of nitrate can inhibit growth, impair the immune system and cause stress in some aquatic species^{[citation needed]}. In most cases of excess nitrate concentrations, the principal pathway of entering aquatic systems is through surface runoff from agricultural or landscaped areas which have received excess nitrate fertilizer. These levels of nitrate can also lead to algae blooms, and when nutrients become limiting (such as potassium, phosphate or nitrate) than eutrophication can occur. As well as leading to water anoxia, these blooms may cause other changes to ecosystem function, favouring some groups of organisms over others. Consequently, as nitrates form a component of total dissolved solids, they are widely used as an indicator of water quality. For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits. ... Runoff flowing into a stormwater drain Surface runoff is water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources, that flows over the land surface, and is a major component of the water cycle[1][2]. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called overland flow. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Eutrophication is apparent as increased turbidity in the northern part of the Caspian Sea, imaged from orbit. ... Asphyxia is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body. ... An ecosystem, a contraction of ecological and system, refers to the collection of biotic and abiotic components and processes that comprise, and govern the behaviour of some defined subset of the biosphere. ... Bottled mineral water usually contains higher TDS levels than tap water Total dissolved solids is an expression for the combined content of all inorganic and organic substances contained in a liquid which are present in a molecular, ionized or micro-granular (colloidal sol) suspended form. ... Water quality is the chemical and physical characterization of water. ...

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