Theodore N. answered • 04/25/22
27 year old wanting to help others love science
Present-day nitric acid production is almost entirely via the oxidation of ammonia and absorption of the oxidation products in water. (aqua fortis) was known and its chemistry practiced in the Middle Ages. It was obtained by heating hydrated copper sulfate or sulfuric acid with sodium nitrate (saltpeter or niter) and cooling the vapors generated to obtain a solution of nitric acid. Nitric acid decomposes into water, nitrogen dioxide, and oxygen, forming a brownish yellow solution.
the industrial production of nitric acid by the Ostwald process ... involves three chemical steps: 1) Catalytic oxidation of ammonia with atmospheric oxygen to yield nitrogen monoxide: 2) Oxidation of the nitrogen monoxide product to nitrogen dioxide or dinitrogen tetroxide: 3) Absorption of the nitrogen oxides to yield nitric acid.
Thiemann M et al; Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 7th ed. (2010). NY, NY: John Wiley & Sons; Nitric Acid, Nitrous Acid, and Nitrogen Oxides. Online Posting Date: June 15, 2000
i hope this helps. the teacher is probably looking for heat and water found through the ostwald process or oxidation. might not be heat or water. might be oxygen. a certain amount of oxygen
