ENGLISH FOR CHEMISTRY

Potassium Nitrate

Ni Putu Asri Windayani

1113031076

CHEMISTRY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

MATHEMATICS AND NATURAL SCIENCES FACULTY
GANESHA UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION
2012

No. Aspects Weight (%) Score Total Score

1. Writing:
words
30 1 2 3 4
structures
Sentences
2. Content:
concept 40 1 2 3 4
descriptions
3. Presentation:
times
30 1 2 3 4
pronunciation
media
Total Score

Potassium Nitrate
 In the world, there are many kind of chemical. Some of them can be found in nature and
there are produced by combine or reacting one chemical with other chemical. Each chemical
have properties like acid, base, and salt. The discussion will be focused at salt.
Potassium nitrate is a salt compound of potassium ions (K +) and nitrate ions (NO3-) with
formula KNO3. Beside have IUPAC name, KNO3 also have the other name that is saltpetre,
nitrate of potash and Vesta powder. In nature, the existance of KNO 3 is known as saltpetre.
Because of KNO3 is salt group, it has pH about 7. Each molecule of potassium nitrate which has
molecular relative mass of 101.1 g/mol contains one atom of potassium (K), one atom of
nitrogen (N) and three atoms of oxygen (O). It is organic compound having white crystals shape
and odorless. It has melting point value of 334oC and boiling point value of 400oC. The density
of KNO3 compared with water is 2.1 g/cm3, and it is easily soluble in water. It value solubility is
133 g/L in temperature of 0 C, 360 g/L in temperature of 25 C and 2470 g/L in temperature of
100 C. That means the solubility of KNO3 increases with temperature. Potassium nitrate is also
slightly soluble in ethanol, soluble in glycerol and ammonia.
The bonding process of KNO3 is caused by electrostatic force between cations and
anions. Potassium atom will give one electron forming positively charged ion, K +, but nitrate
atom gains one electron forming negatively charged ion, NO 3- to achieve their stability. When
sodium and chlorine are combined, both will do an electron transfer. Potassium gives 1 electron
to nitrate, and nitrate gains 1 electron from potassium. So, the bonding of KNO 3 is called ionic
bonding.
 xx
xx + O xx
x
O x
x
x
x xx
x
xx
K + xO
xx
x N
x
x
xx
O xx
K + xO
xx
x N xOx
x x

xx

K+ + NO3- KNO3
Based on the Lewis stucture of KNO3, we can find it molecular structure as the picture.

xx
O xx
x
x
xx xx
K x O x N xx O xx
xx

Lewis Structure Molecular Structure

But based on picture above, the cation of KNO 3 has other chemical bonding. We can see from the
picture that NO3- has 2 covalent bonding and 1 covalent coordination bonding. This bonding
process is caused by the use of electron together. Because of KNO 3 is crystals compound, it has
crystals stucture as following picture.

Crystals Structure of KNO3

Potassium nitrate is also used as fertilizer, as a model rocket propellant, and in several
fireworks such as fumes bombs, in which the mixture with sugar produces the soot from the
fumes 600 times its own volume. In the process of food preservation, potassium nitrate is a
common composition of the marinated meat. Potassium nitrate is also the main component in
stump remover. It also been used in the manufacture of ice cream. One of the most useful
applications of potassium nitrate is in the production of nitric acid, sulfuric acid by adding a
dilute solution of potassium nitrate, yielding nitric acid and potassium sulfate are separated by
fractional distillation.
2KNO3 + H2SO4 K2SO4 + HNO3
From the explanation above, it can be concluded that potassium nitrate (KNO 3) is a salt
compound having crystals stucture and formed from ionic bonding between ion potassium and
ion nitrate. In nature, the existance of KNO3 is known as saltpetre with white crystals shape. It is
usefull campound in daily life especialy as fertilizer and at laboratory to produce nitric acid
(HNO3).