15 Facts on HCl + NH4NO3: What, How To Balance & FAQs

NH4NO3, named ammonium nitrate, is a white crystalline salt, and HCl (hydrochloric acid) is an inorganic acid. Let us examine their reactions thoroughly.

NH4NO3 occurs naturally in the mineral gwihabaite and is a highly hygroscopic solid. NH4NO3 is soluble in water with a solubility of about 150g per 100 ml of water. HCl is a strong acid with a characteristic pungent smell.

In this article, we will discuss the reaction type, enthalpy, products, and intermolecular forces associated with the reaction HCl + NH4NO3.

What is the product of HCl and NH4NO3

NH4Cl (ammonium chloride) and HNO3 (nitric acid) are the products of the reaction HCl + NH4NO3.

HCl + NH4NO3 → NH4Cl + HNO3

What type of reaction is HCl + NH4NO3

HCl + NH4NO3 is a double-displacement reaction.

How to balance HCl + NH4NO3

The reaction HCl + NH4NO3 is balanced using the following steps-

HCl + NH4NO3 → NH4Cl + HNO3

  • The elements present in the species are counted.
Elements present Reactants side Products side
H 5 5
N 2 2
O 3 3
Cl 1 1
Number of elements
  • The above table shows that the elements are equal in number on both sides.
  • Thus, the balanced equation is-
  • HCl + NH4NO3 → NH4Cl + HNO3

HCl + NH4NO3 titration

HCl + NH4NO3 titration is not possible as HCl cannot be used to titrate against NH4NO3 directly as both of them are acidic in nature.

HCl + NH4NO3 net ionic equation

The net ionic equation for HCl + NH4NO3 is-

H+(aq) + Cl(aq) + NH4+(aq)+ NO3(aq) → NH4+(aq)+ Cl(aq) + H+(aq)+ NO3(aq)

Following steps are to be used to derive the net ionic equation.

  • The balanced equation is written in the first step.
  • HCl + NH4NO3 → NH4Cl + HNO3
  • The physical states of the species involved in the reaction are shown.
  • HCl (aq) + NH4NO3 (aq) → NH4Cl (aq) + HNO3 (aq)
  • In the next step, the strong-electrolytes are split into their respective ions.
  • H+(aq) + Cl(aq) + NH4+(aq)+ NO3(aq) → NH4+(aq)+ Cl(aq) + H+(aq)+ NO3(aq)
  • The number of ions are same on either side.
  • So the balanced net ionic equation is
  •  H+(aq) + Cl(aq) + NH4+(aq)+ NO3(aq) → NH4+(aq)+ Cl(aq) + H+(aq)+ NO3(aq)

HCl + NH4NO3 conjugate pairs

HCl + NH4NO3 will constitute a conjugate pair where,

HCl + NO3 = Cl + HNO3

  • Cl is formed as the conjugate base of the acid, HCl.
  • HNO3 act as the conjugate acid of the base NO3 .

HCl and NH4NO3 intermolecular forces

Intermolecular forces that are found in the reactive species of the reaction HCl + NH4NO3 are-

  • London dispersion forces and dipole-dipole interactions exist between the HCl molecules.
  • Electrostatic interactions are found in the molecules of NH4NO3 as they are ionic in nature.
9
dipole-dipole interactions

HCl + NH4NO3 reaction enthalpy

HCl + NH4NO3 enthalpy of reaction is -122.98 KJ/mol. The reaction enthalpy is calculated by putting the listed values in the formula below

Species involved Enthalpy in KJ/mol
HCl -166.7
HNO3 -206.28
NH4Cl -314
NH4NO3 -230.6
Values of enthalpy
  • 4∆Hf°(reaction) = ∆Hf°(products) – ∆Hf°(reactants)
  • = -520.28 – (-397.3) KJ/mol
  • = -122.98 KJ/mol

Is HCl + NH4NO3 a buffer solution

HCl + NH4NO3 will not form a buffer solution as the acid (HCl) used in the reaction is a strong acid, whereas a weak acid is required to form a buffer.

Is HCl + NH4NO3 a complete reaction

HCl + NH4NO3 is a complete reaction as the reactants are used completely to form the products that will not react further.

Is HCl + NH4NO3 an exothermic or endothermic reaction

HCl + NH4NO3 is an exothermic reaction as the heat is liberated during the reaction and the enthalpy (-122.98 KJ/mol) is also negative for the reaction.

Is HCl + NH4NO3 a redox reaction

HCl + NH4NO3 is not a redox reaction as the change in oxidation states of the elements is not observed.

Is HCl + NH4NO3 a precipitation reaction

HCl + NH4NO3 is not a precipitation reaction as the products obtained in the reaction-NH4Cl and HNO3 are completely soluble in water.

Is HCl + NH4NO3 reversible or irreversible reaction

HCl + NH4NO3 is an irreversible reaction as the forward reaction is more feasible as it goes from a highly acidic reactant (HCl) to a weakly acidic product (HNO3).

Is HCl + NH4NO3 displacement reaction

HCl + NH4NO3 is a double-displacement reaction where H+ displaces ammonium ion (NH4+) from its salt and forms HNO3 and NH4+ combines with chloride ions to give NH4Cl.

Conclusion

The reaction is exothermic and irreversible. NH4NO3 is widely used as a high-nitrogen fertilizer in the agriculture industry. HCl is majorly used in the refining of metal and has high applications as a precursor in synthetic chemistry.