Definition

1. Noun:
   • A corrosive, strong mineral acid: Nitric acid is a highly corrosive and toxic strong acid with the chemical formula HNO₃. It is a colorless liquid when pure but often appears yellow due to decomposition into nitrogen oxides and water.
   • An important industrial chemical: It is primarily used in the production of fertilizers (like ammonium nitrate), explosives (like nitroglycerin and TNT), and as an oxidizing agent in rocket fuels and various chemical syntheses.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The laboratory handles nitric acid with extreme care due to its corrosive nature.
  • Nitric acid is a key raw material in the manufacture of many fertilizers.
  • The spill of nitric acid required an emergency hazardous materials response.

Advanced Usage

• "Fuming nitric acid": A concentrated form of nitric acid that contains dissolved nitrogen dioxide, making it reddish-brown and even more reactive. It is used as a rocket propellant oxidizer.
  • Fuming nitric acid was used in some early rocket designs.

Variants and Related Words

• Nitrate (n): A salt or ester of nitric acid, commonly found in fertilizers and explosives.
  • Potassium nitrate is a compound derived from nitric acid.
• Nitration (n): A chemical process that introduces a nitro group into an organic compound, often using nitric acid.
  • The nitration of benzene is a classic organic chemistry reaction.

Synonyms

• Aqua fortis: An archaic historical name for nitric acid.
• HNO₃: The standard chemical formula for nitric acid.

Related Phrases

• Nitric acid test: A chemical test using nitric acid, such as for identifying certain metals.
  • The nitric acid test can distinguish between silver and other white metals.

Noun

1. acid used especially in the production of fertilizers and explosives and rocket fuels