Nitrate and nitrite are each nitrogen-containing compounds normally located in soil, water, and food. Though they may be chemically related, nitrates comprise one nitrogen atom bonded to three oxygen atoms (NO3-), while nitrites comprise one nitrogen atom bonded to two oxygen atoms (NO2-). Understanding the variations among those compounds is vital, as they’ve different roles in each environmental tactics and human fitness.

In this article, we will discuss the difference between nitrate and nitrite along with their properties, and their applications.

What is Nitrate?

Nitrate has the chemical formula NO₃ and is a polyatomic ion. Nitrates are salts that contain this ion. Nitrates are widely used in fertilizers and explosives. Almost all inorganic nitrates are water-soluble. Bismuth oxynitrate is an example of an insoluble nitrate. The Nitrite ion has a symmetrical structure (C2v symmetry), with equal-length N-O links and a bond angle of roughly 115°. It is described as a resonance hybrid in valence bond theory, with equal contributions from two canonical forms that are mirror reflections of each other. The formal charge of the nitrate ion is 1.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Nitrate

The ion nitrate is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula NO3- and a molecular mass of 62.01 daltons. It is made up of one core nitrogen atom surrounded by three identical oxygen atoms in a trigonal planar configuration.

• There are no hydrogen bond donors.
• There are three hydrogen bond acceptors.
• There are no rotatable bonds.

Applications of Nitrate

Nitrates can be used in several purposes. The uses and applications of Nitrate are given below –

• Nitrate is mostly used in inorganic fertilizers.
• It is also employed as an oxidizer and in the manufacture of explosives.
• Purified potassium nitrate is used in the production of glass.

What is Nitrite?

The ion nitrite has the chemical formula NO₂. Nitrite (most notably sodium nitrite) is often used in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. The nitrite anion is a common intermediary in nature’s nitrogen cycle. The term nitrite also refers to chemical molecules with the -ONO group, which are nitrous acid esters. The ion is a nitric acid conjugate base composed of one core nitrogen atom surrounded by three similarly bound oxygen atoms in a trigonal planar configuration.

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Physical and Chemical Properties of Nitrite

• Nitrite is made up of one nitrogen atom and two oxygen atoms.
• Inorganic nitrites appear as colorless liquids or crystalline solids.
• Nitrous acid is also very volatile, existing mostly in the gas phase as a trans-planar molecule.
• It takes the form of a colorless liquid or crystalline solid.

Applications of Nitrite

Nitrites can be used in several purposes. The uses and applications of Nitrite are given below –

• Sodium nitrite is a food preservative that is commonly found in cured meats.
• In addition to numerous other significant reactions, sodium nitrite is employed in the Nef reaction and the Abidi transformation.
• To manufacture different colors and fertilizers, it is used.
• For the bleaching of fibers and the printing of textile textiles.

Difference Between Nitrate And Nitrite

The table provided below shows the difference between Nitrate and Nitrite: