Nitric acid is a strong acid with a pKa of −2: in aqueous solution, it completely ionizes into the nitrate ion NO3− and a hydrated proton, known as a hydronium ion, H3O+. Nitric Acid is a monoprotic acid because there is only one dissociation. The salts of nitric acid (which contain the nitrate ion) are also known as nitrates. The overwhelming majority of them are very soluble in water and in other polar liquid substances, such as ethanol. Nitric acid is made by mixing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with water. Creating a very pure nitric acid usually involves distillation with sulfuric acid, as nitric acid forms an azeotrope with water with a composition of 68% nitric acid and 32% water. Commercial grade nitric acid solutions are usually between 52% and 68% nitric acid. Commercial production of nitric acid is via the Ostwald process after Wilhelm Ostwald.

Nitric acid is a strong acid with a pKa of −2: in aqueous solution, it completely ionizes into the nitrate ion NO3− and a hydrated proton, known as a hydronium ion, H3O+. Nitric Acid is a monoprotic acid because there is only one dissociation. The salts of nitric acid (which contain the nitrate ion) are also known as nitrates. The overwhelming majority of them are very soluble in water and in other polar liquid substances, such as ethanol. Nitric acid is made by mixing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with water. Creating a very pure nitric acid usually involves distillation with sulfuric acid, as nitric acid forms an azeotrope with water with a composition of 68% nitric acid and 32% water. Commercial grade nitric acid solutions are usually between 52% and 68% nitric acid. Commercial production of nitric acid is via the Ostwald process after Wilhelm Ostwald.