Paper 1 October/November 2010 CHEMISTRY (9701/11) IGCSE

Nitric acid is made industrially by the oxidation of ammonia. The overall equation for the process is shown.
equation 1: NH$_3$ + 2O$_2$ → HNO$_3$ + H$_2$O
The process happens in three stages. The equations and enthalpy changes for these stages are given.
stage 1: 4NH$_3$ + 5O$_2$ → 4NO + 6H$_2$O ΔH = -904kJ mol$^{ - 1}$
stage 2: 2NO + O$_2$…