Question

At high temperatures, nitrogen dioxide decomposes into which of the following?

1) Nitric oxide
2) Oxygen gas
3) Nitric oxide and oxygen gas
4) None of the above

Answer 1

Nitrogen dioxide decomposes into nitric oxide and oxygen gas at high temperatures, where nitrogen in NO2 is reduced to form NO and O2.

Step-by-step explanation:

At high temperatures, nitrogen dioxide decomposes into nitric oxide and oxygen gas. The process involves the reduction of nitrogen dioxide, where nitrogen in NO2 goes from an oxidation state of +4 to +2 in NO, releasing O2 in the process.

This can occur spontaneously at high temperatures, and nitric oxide is further involved in various reactions, including forming nitrogen dioxide in the presence of oxygen. Commercial preparation of nitrogen dioxide often involves oxidizing nitric oxide with air. Reactions involving nitrogen oxides are key in understanding atmospheric chemistry and the production of various pollutants.