The equation 6HNO3 + 3Sn -> 3Sn(NO3)2 + 3H2O + 6NO

  1. Detailed information about the equation 6HNO3 + 3Sn -> 3Sn(NO3)2 + 3H2O + 6NO

    • This reaction is a redox reaction between nitric acid HNO3 and the metal tin Sn. The result of the reaction is the compound Sn(NO3)2, water H2O, and nitrogen monoxide gas NO.
    • In this reaction, tin Sn is oxidized from an oxidation state of II to IV, while the nitrogen in HNO3 is reduced from an oxidation state of V down to II.

  2. Reaction conditions

    • The conditions for this reaction require the presence of concentrated nitric acid (HNO3) and tin (Sn) at room temperature.

  3. Reaction process

    • When tin and nitric acid react with each other, the nitrogen in nitric acid is reduced from an oxidation state of +5 down to +2, while tin is oxidized from an oxidation state of 0 to +4.

  4. Phenomena observed

    • When the reaction takes place, initially, one can see the brown smoke of nitrogen monoxide gas (NO) being released.
    • Then, the reaction mixture becomes clear and there are no more gas bubbles indicating that the reaction has completed.
    • The remaining product is the nitrate salt of tin, Sn(NO3)2, and water.
    • Especially, if the experiment is conducted under atmospheric conditions, nitrogen monoxide gas will continue to react with oxygen in the air to form nitrogen dioxide gas (NO2), creating a characteristic brown color.

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