Question #9701f

1 Answer
Stefan V.
May 5, 2016

"C"_ ((s)) + 4"HNO"_ (3(aq)) -> 2"H"_ 2"O"_ ((l)) + 4"NO"_ (2(aq)) + "CO"_(2(g)) uarr

Explanation:

You're dealing with a redox reaction in which carbon reduces hot, concentrated nitric acid to nitrogen dioxide, "NO"_2, while being oxidized to carbon dioxide, "CO"_2, in the process.

The balanced chemical equation that describes this reaction looks like this

stackrel(color(blue)(0))("C")_ ((s)) + 4"H"stackrel(color(blue)(+5))("N")"O"_ (3(aq)) -> 2"H"_ 2"O"_ ((l)) + 4stackrel(color(blue)(+4))("N")"O"_ (2(aq)) + stackrel(color(blue)(+4))("C")"O"_(2(g)) uarr

Here carbon is being oxidized from a color(blue)(0) oxidation state in elemental carbon to a color(blue)(+4) oxidation state in carbon dioxide.

Nitrogen, on the other hand, is being reduced from a color(blue)(+5) oxidation state in nitric acid to a color(blue)(+4) oxidation state in nitrogen dioxide.

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