15 Facts About HNO3 + Be: How This Combination Works

Beryllium is an alkaline earth metal having atomic number 4 and colour of white-grey. Let us see how it reacts with Nitric acid through this article.

Beryllium(Be) is strong, brittle and light weight metal. Nitric acid (HNO₃) is highly corrosive mineral acid. Beryllium becomes passive due to presence of Oxygen and forms a layer of BeO which is resistant to acid. Without the protective layer, Be reacts with acid to form Be²⁺ ions.

Let us see the details of interaction of Beryllium (Be) with Nitric acid (HNO₃) through this article.

What is the product of HNO₃ and Be?

Beryllium (Be) reacts with Nitric acid (HNO₃) to produce Beryllium nitrate (Be(NO₃)₂ ) and Hydrogen gas (H₂). Beryllium without the BeO layer gets dissolve in acids.

Be + 2HNO₃ → Be(NO₃)₂ + H₂

What type of reaction is HNO₃ + Be?

The reaction of Nitric acid (HNO3) with Beryllium (Be) is an Oxidation-Reduction i.e., Redox type of reaction. It is also Single-Displacement or Substitution type of reaction.

How to balance HNO₃ + Be?

To get the balanced equation, we should follow the steps given below.

• The general chemical reaction can be represented as:
• Be + HNO₃ → Be(NO₃)₂ + H₂
• Now, identifying the number of elements at each side.
• There are 1 Be, 1H, 1N, and 3O at the reactant side and 1Be, 2N, 6O and 2H at the product side.
• The first attempt to balance the chemical equation is by multiplying with relevant number with the reactant.
• To balance the number of H, N and O at both the sides 2 is multiplied by HNO₃.
• Now, the equation obtained is: Be + 2HNO₃ → Be(NO₃)₂ + H₂
• As we can see the number of reactants and products are same at both the sides the reaction is balanced.
• Final representation of balanced chemical equation is:
• Be + 2HNO₃ → Be(NO₃)₂ + H₂

HNO₃ + Be Titration

HNO₃ + Be do not represent any titration reaction. HNO₃ is strong acid but, Be is neither strong nor weak base as it is a metal. Therefore, titration is not possible for this reaction.

HNO₃ + Be Net Ionic Equation

The Net Ionic equation for HNO₃ + Be is

Be_(s) + 2H⁺_(aq) = Be²⁺_(aq) + H_2(g)

To get the above Net Ionic Equation we should follow the following steps.

• The balanced molecular equation is
• Be + 2HNO₃  →  Be(NO₃)₂ + H₂
• Then writing (s, l, aq, g) for each of the molecule.
• Be_(s) + 2HNO_3(aq) → Be(NO₃)_2(aq) + H_2(g)
• Now, breaking strong electrolytes into ions.
• Be_(s) + 2H⁺_(aq) + 2NO₃ ^–_(aq) = Be²⁺_(aq) + 2NO₃^–_(aq) + H_2(g)
• After breaking we will cross out the common ions (spectator ions) from both the sides we will obtain the net ionic equation as follows:
• The spectator ion is 2NO₃^–_(aq)
• The final net ionic equation is:
• Be_(s) + 2H⁺_(aq) = Be²⁺_(aq) + H_2(g)

HNO₃ + Be Conjugate pairs

HNO3 + Be Conjugate pairs are as follows:

• The conjugate base for HNO₃ is NO₃^– .
• The conjugate acid for HNO₃ is H⁺.
• The conjugate base for Be(NO₃)₂ is NO₃^–.
• The conjugate acid for Be(NO₃)₂ is Be²⁺

HNO₃ + Be Intermolecular Forces

HNO₃ + Be intermolecular forces of interactions are as below:

• Nitric acid is a strong acid and there is a large electronegative difference between H and NO₃. Hence, HNO₃ is a polar molecule.
• The intermolecular interaction in HNO₃ molecule is dipole-dipole interactions and dispersion interaction.
• Be being metal and with no bonding with other element does not have intermolecular force.
• London dispersion forces happen when the electrons in HNO₃ and Be drawn to one another by their transient and erratic charges.

HNO₃ + Be Reaction Enthalpy

HNO₃ + Be has reaction enthalpy around 285.68kJ. The Enthalpy information is as follows:

• The formation enthalpy of HNO₃ = -207.36kJ/mol.
• The formation Enthalpy of Be metal = 0
• The formation enthalpy of Be(NO₃)₂ = -700.4kJ/mol.
• The formation enthalpy of H₂ gas = 0
• ΔH°f = ΣΔH°f (products) – ΣΔH°f (reactants) (kJ/mol)
• The reaction enthalpy is ΔH°f =  (2 x (-207.36kJ/mol) + 0) – ((-700.4kJ/mol) + 0)
• ΔH°f = 285.68kJ/mol

Is HNO₃ + Be a Buffer solution?

HNO₃ + Be is not a buffer solution because for a buffer solution there has to be weak acid or base but HNO₃ is strong acid and Beryllium is a metal hence buffer solution is not possible.

Is HNO₃ + Be a Complete Reaction?

HNO₃ + Be is a complete reaction since all of the reactant’s moles of HNO₃ and Be are completely converted and consumed by the product at equilibrium.

Is HNO₃ + Be an Exothermic or Endothermic Reaction?

HNO₃ + Be is an endothermic reaction. The formation enthalpy is positive that means 285.68kJ/mol energy is required during the formation of this bond.

Is HNO₃ + Be a Redox Reaction?

HNO₃ + Be is a redox type of reaction. HNO₃ is a strong oxidizing agent. In this reaction, Be from 0 oxidation state is reduced to +2 state whereas, H is oxidized during this reaction changing from +2 oxidation state to 0 oxidation state thereby making this reaction a redox type.

Is HNO₃ + Be a Precipitation Reaction?

HNO₃ + Be is not a Precipitation reaction. There is no solid product formed during the reaction. Be(NO₃)₂ is present in aqueous form whereas, H₂ is in gaseous state.

Is HNO₃ + Be Reversible or Irreversible Reaction?

HNO₃ + Be is an irreversible reaction. The equilibrium constant of the reaction is high which indicates that the reaction moves in a forward direction making it irreversible. Also H₂ gas is liberated as a product during this reaction.

Is HNO₃ + Be Displacement Reaction?

HNO₃ + Be is a single displacement reaction. Here, H in HNO₃ is replaced by Be atom giving Be(NO₃)₂ as a product.

Conclusion

This article concludes that the reaction of HNO₃ + Be is an Endothermic Redox type of reaction. The Product obtained of Beryllium Nitrate is used in gas mantle hardener as well as chemical reagent. Dilute Nitric acid forms an oxide layer on Be making it passive to any reaction.

Read more about following HNO₃:

Jyoti Singh

Hello! I am Jyoti Singh, I have completed my post graduation in Organic Chemistry from Mumbai University. I have experience in teaching Organic Chemistry.I am very happy to be a part of the Lambdageeks family and I would like to explain the subject in a simplistic way.