The chemical equation Cu2O + 4HNO3 -> 2Cu(NO3)2 + 2H2O

  1. Detailed information about the equation Cu2O + 4HNO3 -> 2Cu(NO3)2 + 2H2O:
    The chemical equation refers to the reaction between copper (II) oxide (Cu2O) and nitric acid (HNO3), resulting in copper (II) nitrate (Cu(NO3)2) and water (H2O). Cu2O is the oxidizing agent in this reaction, and HNO3 is the reducing agent.

  2. Reaction conditions:
    This reaction occurs at room temperature. It should be noted that copper (II) oxide should be kept in a finely powdered form to increase the reaction rate.

  3. Reaction process:
    During the reaction process, copper (II) oxide is oxidized by nitric acid into copper (II) nitrate, while nitric acid is reduced to water.

  4. Occurrences:
    When a copper coil interacts with a light yellow nitric acid solution, a blue solution is created and steam is emitted. The blueness of the solution is due to the formation of copper (II) nitrate, this blue color is even deeper if the concentration of the solution is increased.

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