Explain why nitric acid is kept in reagent bottle for a long time?
Nitric acid decomposes when exposed to light as:
4HNO3 → 4NO2 + 2H2O + O2
The NO2 thus formed dissolves in nitric acid to give a yellow brown appearance.
Hence nitric acid is stored in a brown bottle.
4HNO3 → 4NO2 + 2H2O + O2
The NO2 thus formed dissolves in nitric acid to give a yellow brown appearance.
Hence nitric acid is stored in a brown bottle.