Dissolving Coins in Nitric Acid - Periodic Table of Videos

TL;DR

Neil performs experiments with nitric acid, showcasing its reactions with metals in various concentrations.

Transcript

nitric acid is hno3 it is a very strong acid so-called oxidizing acid it is made by the reaction of nitrogen oxides with water and it will dissolve all sorts of metals as you'll see normally it comes dissolved in different strengths in water so-called dilute nitric acid concentrated nitric acid and then really strong which is called fuming nitric a... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤘 Nitric acid is a strong oxidizing acid that dissolves metals and can be used in various experiments.
• 🖐️ Concentration and temperature play crucial roles in determining the outcome of reactions involving nitric acid.
• 🤘 Chemical reactions with nitric acid can yield different results based on the type of metal and its properties.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is nitric acid and its properties?

Nitric acid is HNO3, a potent oxidizing acid that dissolves metals and can be highly corrosive to skin. Its reactions can be influenced by concentration and temperature.

Q: Why did Neil perform the reaction of aniline with nitric acid?

Neil performed the reaction to demonstrate the hypergolic reaction, where aniline spontaneously bursts into flames when mixed with concentrated nitric acid, resembling rocket fuel combustion.

Q: What different reactions did Neil observe with copper and nitric acid?

Neil demonstrated that copper reacts differently with dilute and concentrated nitric acid, producing distinct color changes and gas emissions based on the acid's concentration.

Q: Why did the first two pence coin experiment fail?

The first experiment failed due to using hot nitric acid, which dissolved the surface coating on the iron coin before passivation could occur.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Nitric acid, HNO3, is a strong oxidizing acid that dissolves metals.

• Neil demonstrates reactions of aniline with concentrated nitric acid and copper with dilute and concentrated nitric acid.

• The experiments illustrate the differences in reactions based on acid concentration and temperature.