Question Video: Identifying the Products of the Thermal Decomposition of Ammonium Nitrite Chemistry • Second Year of Secondary School

Video Transcript

Which of the following are the products of the thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrite? (A) Nitrogen and hydrogen gases, (B) nitrogen gas and water, (C) nitrogen dioxide and hydrogen gases, (D) nitrogen oxide gas and water, or (E) nitrogen dioxide gas and water.

In this question, we need to find out what products are formed during the decomposition of ammonium nitrite. Ammonium nitrite has the chemical formula NH4NO2. Ammonium nitrite can be created in situ by combining sodium nitrite and ammonium chloride. Ammonium nitrite is very unstable and will decompose into water and nitrogen gas.

We can therefore see that the thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrite produces (B), nitrogen gas and water.