The equation 2HNO3 + Cu -> 2NO2 + 2H2O + Cu(NO3)2

  1. Detailed information about the equation 2HNO3 + Cu -> 2NO2 + 2H2O + Cu(NO3)2

    • The above equation represents the chemical reaction between nitric acid (HNO3) and copper (Cu), resulting in nitrogen dioxide (NO2), water (H2O), and copper (II) nitrate (Cu(NO3)2).

  2. Conditions of the reaction

    • The reaction occurs at normal temperature. If one wants to speed up the reaction, the temperature of the reaction environment can be increased.
    • HNO3 needs to be concentrated and the copper needs to be pure.

  3. Reaction process

    • During the reaction process, nitric acid reacts with copper to produce nitrogen dioxide, water, and copper (II) nitrate.
    • Specifically, 2 moles of nitric acid react with 1 mole of copper to produce 2 moles of nitrogen dioxide, 2 moles of water, and 1 mole of copper (II) nitrate.

  4. Phenomena that occur

    • During the reaction, we observe the phenomenon of brown gas (nitrogen dioxide) starting to rise from the solution.
    • Copper gradually dissolves in the nitric acid solution, and the clear solution turns blue, which is the color of copper (II) nitrate.
    • It is also possible to notice an increase in the temperature of the solution, indicating that this is an exothermic reaction.

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