5.23C - Making ammonium nitrate
Learn the reaction that makes ammonium nitrate, explain its name and formula using ions, and connect its nitrogen content to its use as a fertiliser.
Making the ammonium salt
Ammonia reacts with nitric acid to form the salt ammonium nitrate:
ammonia + nitric acid → ammonium nitrate
[DIAGRAM: asset_name: ammonia_nitric_acid_to_ammonium_nitrate: Ammonia and nitric acid make ammonium nitrate - diagram 1; asset_slug: 142_5_23c_ammonia_reacts_with_nitric_acid_to_produce_a_salt_that_is_used_as_a_fertil_diagram1; file: diagram_assets/142_5_23c_ammonia_reacts_with_nitric_acid_to_produce_a_salt_that_is_used_as_a_fertil_diagram1.png; recommended_method: deterministic_drawn; description: Exact monochrome process/equation visual for Edexcel 5.23C. Two reactant boxes labelled ammonia, NH3, and nitric acid, HNO3, feed by arrows into a product box labelled ammonium nitrate, NH4NO3. A final arrow points to a note labelled fertiliser salt, used to help plant growth. Deterministic drawing is required because the formulae, product name and arrow sequence are assessed details.]
Making ammonium nitrate
The equation is balanced in a 1:1:1 ratio: there are two nitrogen atoms, four hydrogen atoms and three oxygen atoms on each side. With ammonia written as NH₃, water is not a product of this equation.
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