Question

Nitric acid is a/an:
A.Oxidising agent
B.Reducing agent
C.Weak acid
D.Indicator

Answer 1

Hint: Nitric acid is a very corrosive mineral acid also known as aqua fortis and spirit of niter. The pure chemical is colourless, but breakdown into nitrogen oxides and water causes older samples to become yellow. In water, the majority of commercially available nitric acid has a concentration of 68 percent.

Complete answer:
A Bronsted acid that is also a powerful oxidising agent is known as an oxidising acid. Because the acidic proton may be converted to hydrogen gas, all Bronsted acids can operate as oxidising agents. Other structures in some acids operate as greater oxidising agents than hydrogen ions. They usually have oxygen in their anionic structure. Nitric acid, perchloric acid, chloric acid, chromic acid, and concentrated sulfuric acid are only a few of them. Because nitric acid has a +5 oxidation state, which is its maximum, it will be reduced and will oxidise other molecules. As a result, it works as an oxidizer. As a result, when nitric acid is reduced, it can only operate as an oxidising agent. The oxidation state of nitrogen in nitrous acid is +2. As a result, it can be oxidised to a +5 state while concurrently being reduced to a -3 state. Because nitrogen has so many oxidation states, nitrogen molecules are usually highly adaptable when it comes to redox processes. So, the fundamental reason why HNO3 is such a strong oxidising agent (in comparison to other acids) is that it has a different, better avenue for reduction accessible to it. Nitric acid decomposes producing a brownish yellow solution of water, nitrogen dioxide, and oxygen.

Hence option A is correct.

Note:
An oxidising agent is a chemical in chemistry that has the capacity to oxidise other compounds, or receive their electrons. Oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and halogens are common oxidising agents. In one definition, an oxidising agent is a chemical entity that obtains one or more electrons through a chemical process. In that respect, it's a part of a redox (oxidation–reduction) process.