Is Nitrogen Dioxide Acidic or Basic or Neutral Gas? | NO₂ Acidity

Nitrogen dioxide is an acidic gas and produce an acidic solution in the water (mixture of acids).

Otherwise, we can say, NO₂ is one of the strong acidic gas in chemistry.

Nitrogen dioxide and water reaction with balanced equation

Nitrous(HNO₂) and nitric acids(HNO₃) are given as products. HNO₂ is a weak acid and HNO₃ is a strong acid.

Oxidation number of nitrogen in NO₂ is +4. Oxidation of nitrogen in HNO₂ and HNO₃ is +3 and +5 respectively.

NO₂ is reduced to HNO₂ and oxidized to HNO₃.

How to get confirmed nitrogen dioxide gas is acidic or basic?

Now, we NO₂ is sent to the water. Check pH value of the solution. You can see pH of the solution is under 7 due to producing of HNO₃ and HNO₂.

Nitrogen dioxide gas properties

• Toxic gas.
• Acidic - Dissolves in water very well to form HNO₃ and HNO₂. When this reaction occurs, brown colour of NO₂ is decreased.
• It is a brown colour

Brown colour NO₂ reducing in water, can be used to identify Br₂ gas from NO₂. Br₂ brown colour is not changed much with water. Br₂ slightly reacts with water to produce HBr and HOBr. Therefore Br₂ brown colour is kept in the water.

Nitrogen dioxide reacts with rain water in the sky to produce acid rain which is a large environmental issue.

Nitrogen dioxide and water reaction pH

Nitrogen dioxide will give nitric acid and nitrous acid in water. Aqueous nitric acid solution shows pH value under 7. If lot of nitrogen dioxide dissolve in water, pH alue can be very low such as 1,2,3 giving strong acidic solution.

why Carbon monoxide and nitric oxide are neutral oxides?

Oxidation numbers of carbon and nitrogen atoms in carbon monoxide and nitric oxide are +2 and +2 respectively. When oxidation number is high in oxides of an element, acidic properties increases.

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