On heating blue coloured powder of copper (II) nitrate in a boiling tube, copper oxide (black), oxygen gas and a brown gas X is formed.
(a) Write a balanced chemical equation of the reaction.
Ans. Balanced chemical equation
2Cu(NO3)2(s) → 2CuO +O2 + 4NO2(g)
(b) Identity the brown gas X evolved.
Ans. The brown gas X evolved is nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
(c) Identity the type of reaction.
Ans. This is a decomposition reaction
(d) What could be the pH range of aqueous solution of the gas X?
Ans. Nitrogen dioxide dissolves in water to form acidic solution because it is an oxide of non-metal. Therefore, pH of this solution is less than 7.
