Question

Nitric acid can be obtained from ammonia via the formations of the intermediate compounds:
A.Nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide
B.Nitrogen and nitric oxide
C.Nitric oxide and dinitrogen pentoxide
D.Nitrogen and nitrous oxide

Answer 1

Hint: When two or more atoms come together of the same or different elements with the help of bonding constitutes a molecule. Nitric acid is also a molecule made up of different elements such as nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen.

Complete step by step answer:
Ammonia is colourless gas. The chemical representation of ammonia is done as ${\text{N}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}}$ . It consists of nitrogen and hydrogen atoms.
Nitric acid is a highly corrosive acid. It is also known as aqua fortis. The chemical representation of nitric acid is done as ${\text{HN}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{3}}}$ .
We will try to form nitric acid from the ammonia and will observe the intermediate compounds carefully and note them.
The reaction starts from the oxidation of ammonia.
Reaction :
\[{\text{4N}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}}{\text{ + 5}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}}\xrightarrow{{Pt{\text{ }}guage}}{\text{4NO + 6}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O}}\]
Here in this reaction nitric oxide (${\text{NO}}$) is produced.
Now this nitric oxide will again react with oxygen because oxygen is in excess.
${\text{2NO + }}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}} \to 2{\text{N}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}}$
So, nitrogen dioxide (${\text{N}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}}$) is produced in this reaction.
And now finally this nitrogen dioxide will react with oxygen in presence of moisture or we can say water molecule.
\[{\text{4N}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{ + 2}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O + }}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}} \to 4{\text{HN}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{3}}}\]
Hence finally we got our nitric acid (${\text{HN}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{3}}}$)
And this whole process and mechanism involved in the formation of nitric acid is known as Ostwald’s process.
Hence we can conclude that nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide are the two intermediate compounds formed during the formation of nitric acid from ammonia via Ostwald’s process.
Hence option (A) is correct, nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide.

Note:
The process involved in the formation of nitric acid from ammonia is known as Ostwald’s process. This process forms nitric acid from ammonia in two steps. In this process platinum is used as a catalyst to proceed the reactions.