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Nitrates

Nitrate
Ball-and-stick model of the nitrate ion
Names
Systematic IUPAC name
Nitrate
Identifiers
14797-55-8
3D model (Jmol) Interactive image
ChEBI CHEBI:17632
ChemSpider 918
PubChem 943
Properties
NO
3
Molar mass 62.00 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references

Nitrate is a polyatomic ion with the molecular formula NO
3
and a molecular mass of 62.0049 g/mol. Nitrates also describe the organic functional group RONO2. These nitrate esters are a specialized class of explosives.

The anion is the conjugate base of nitric acid, consisting of one central nitrogen atom surrounded by three identically bonded oxygen atoms in a trigonal planar arrangement. The nitrate ion carries a formal charge of −1. This results from a combination formal charge in which each of the three oxygens carries a −23 charge, whereas the nitrogen carries a +1 charge, all these adding up to formal charge of the polyatomic nitrate ion. This arrangement is commonly used as an example of resonance. Like the isoelectronic carbonate ion, the nitrate ion can be represented by resonance structures:

Almost all inorganic nitrate salts are soluble in water at standard temperature and pressure. A common example of an inorganic nitrate salt is potassium nitrate (saltpeter). A rich source of inorganic nitrate in the human body comes from diets rich in leafy green foods, such as spinach and arugula. NO3- (inorganic nitrate) is the viable active component within beetroot juice and other vegetables.


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