Silver and Nitric Acid Reaction | Ag + HNO3
Silver reacts with in two ways (give different products) with nitric acid. According to the concentration of nitric acid, products are different. In this tutorial, you will learn about those products given by nitric acid and siver metal and corresponding chemical equations.
Silver is not a reactive metal like other metals such as iron, calcium, sodium.
Usually silver does not react with dilute acids (silver does not show typical metal - acid reaction). But, dilute nitric acid has oxidizing acid characteristics too like concentrated nitric acid. That is the reasons why nitric acid reacts with silver metal.
Silver and hot concentrated nitric acid
Silver metal reacts with hot concentrated nitric acid and produce silver nitrate (AgNO3) salt, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas and water as products. This reaction is a redox reaction (oxidation - reduction reaction).
Equation of reaction of Ag and hot concentrated HNO3
Ag + HNO3 → AgNO3 + NO2 + H2O
In this reaction, silver is oxidized to +1 oxidation state of silver. Meanwhile nitric acid is reduced to +4 oxidation state (nitrogen dioxide) from +5 oxidation state.
During the reaction of Ag and HNO3, you can observe brown colour nitrogen dioxide gas is being emitted.
Silver is a soft, white, lustrous transition metal. Produced silver nitrate aqueous solution is colourless.
Balanced equation of Ag and hot concentrated HNO3 acid reaction
Ag + 2HNO3 → AgNO3 + NO2 + H2O
Silver and cold dilute nitric acid
Silver metal reacts with cold dilute nitric acid and produce silver nitrate (AgNO3) salt, nitric dioxide (NO) gas and water as products. This reaction is a redox reaction (oxidation - reduction reaction) too.
Reaction of Ag and cold dilute HNO3
Ag + HNO3 → AgNO3 + NO + H2O
In this reaction, silver is oxidized to +1 oxidation state of silver. Meanwhile nitric acid is reduced to +2 oxidation state (nitric oxide) from +5 oxidation state.
During the reaction of Ag and hot concentrated HNO3, you can observe colourless nitric oxide gas is being emitted.
Balanced equation of Ag and cold dilute HNO3 acid reaction
3Ag + 4HNO3 → 3AgNO3 + NO + 2H2O
What are the other similar reactions to nitric acid and silver?
Copper reacts with nitric acid and give products according to the concentration and temperature of nitric acid solution.
Also nitric acid show this oxidizing acid properties reactions with phosphorous, sulfur, tin, carbon and more.
About safety of HNO3, NO2 and AgNO3
Nitric acid is a strong acid. Do not get contacted with skin.
Don't get exposed to nitrogen dioxide gas because this gas is a highly toxic gas and can cause to so many injuries to humans.
Brief exposure of AgNO3 will not produce purple, brown or black stains on the skin.
Questions asked by students, ask your question and find the answer free.
How to precipitate silver from nitric acid?
When silver reacts with dilute or concentrted nitric acid, silver nitrate is given. Silver nitrate is soluble in water and do not form a precipitate. If you want to form a precipitate of silver after adding nitric acid, you can add dilute HCl or NaCl solution. It will give silver chloride, white precipitate.
AgNO3 + HCl → AgCl + HNO3
Silver reacts with nitric acid. But why silver does not react with dilute HCl acid?
HCl is not an oxidizing acid and also silver is not a very reactive metal to react with dilute acids. So silver cannot show metal - acid reactions to emit hydrogen gas.
Is silver and nitric acid redox reaction is it similar to copper and nitric acid reaction?
There are some similarities in both reactions because according to the concentration of nitric acid, the reduction of nitric acid is chaanged.
does silver react with nitric acid?
Yes. Silver is oxidzed by nitric acid to its +1 oxidation state.
In the products, nitrogen contains in two compounds. So is this reaction a disproportionation reaction?
In the products nitrogen is in nitric oxide and silver nitrate if dilute nitric acid is used. But oxidation number of nitrogen is only changed from nitric acid to nitric oxide. In the nitrate and nitric oxide, oxidation number of nitrogen is 5. Therefore, this reaction is not a disproportionation reaction.
Is Ag, HNO3 reaction will give precipitates after the reaction.
As a product, silver nitrate is given in both occasions. You should know, all metal nitrates are soluble in water and silver nitrate is soluble in water too.
In this Ag + HNO3 acid reaction, is nitric acid is oxidized?
Nitric acid is reduced to NO or NO2 and those products will vary on concentration and temperature of the solution.
why is hno3 suitable for removing the silver mirror? write a chemical equation to support your answer.
Silver is a very inactive metal and does not dissolve in dilute acids such as HCl or H2SO4.