Al+3 and nitrate anion NO−3
Aluminum nitrate is a white crystalline solid. Non-combustible but can accelerate the combustion of combustibles. May cause explosion if large quantities are involved or combustible material is subdivided. Prolonged exposure to fire or heat may cause an explosion. Fires involving this material can produce nitrogen oxides. Uses include petroleum refining, dyeing and leather tanning.
Aluminum nitrate is an ionic compound composed of aluminum metal and nitrogen oxyanions. This compound consists of metal ions combined with nonmetal ions; aluminum cations
Al+3 and nitrate anion NO−3
The outermost shell of aluminum has three valence electrons; its noble gas electron configuration [Ne]3s23p1) indicates that the third s orbital has two electrons and the third p orbital has only one electron. Aluminum completely transfers three of its electrons to the polyatomic nitrate NO−3
. Polyatomic ions are molecular ions that consist of more than one atom. Aluminum nitrate is a neutral salt; its total formal cost is equal to zero. The nitrate anion can only accept one electron, while the aluminum cation continuously donates three electrons. To accommodate this, aluminum assigns its electrons to the three nitrate anions. In this way, the +3 charge of aluminum is canceled out by the three -1 charges from the three nitrate anions
NO-3. The chemical formula of aluminum nitrate is Al(NO3)3; it consists of one aluminum atom and three nitric acid atoms. Figure 1 shows how the formula for aluminum nitrate was derived.
