Fact Check: Is HNO2 a strong acid?

Published May 25, 2025

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VERDICT

False

# Is HNO2 a Strong Acid? ## Introduction The claim in question is whether nitrous acid (HNO2) is classified as a strong acid. This inquiry is signifi...

Is HNO2 a Strong Acid?

Introduction

The claim in question is whether nitrous acid (HNO2) is classified as a strong acid. This inquiry is significant in the field of chemistry, as the classification of acids into strong and weak categories affects their behavior in chemical reactions and their applications in various fields.

What We Know

Chemical Nature of HNO2: Nitrous acid (HNO2) is a weak acid, meaning it does not completely dissociate into ions in solution. This is a key characteristic that distinguishes it from strong acids, which fully dissociate in water 1 2 6.
Comparison with Strong Acids: Strong acids, such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4), are defined by their ability to release all of their hydrogen ions (H+) into solution. In contrast, HNO2 only partially dissociates, which is a hallmark of weak acids 2 4 6.
Stability and Existence: HNO2 is known to be unstable and primarily exists in aqueous solution or as nitrite salts. It is not commonly found in a pure form, which further complicates its classification 1 6.
Acid Strength Chart: Various sources, including academic and educational websites, consistently classify HNO2 as a weak acid. For example, an acid and base chart from MilliporeSigma lists HNO2 among weak acids, providing a Ka value that supports its classification 3 6.

Analysis

The evidence supporting the classification of HNO2 as a weak acid is robust and comes from multiple credible sources.

Wikipedia is generally a reliable starting point for scientific information, although it can be edited by anyone, which necessitates caution. The entry on nitrous acid clearly states its weak acid status and provides historical context 1.
VocabDictionary and TutorOcean both affirm that HNO2 does not dissociate completely in water, reinforcing the notion that it is a weak acid. However, VocabDictionary's status as a less formal educational resource may introduce some variability in reliability 2 6.
MilliporeSigma is a reputable chemical supplier and its technical documents are typically well-researched and peer-reviewed, making their acid strength chart a reliable reference 3.
Other sources, such as Topblogtenz and Brainly, while providing useful information, may lack the rigorous academic backing of more established scientific resources. They often reflect a more general audience and can sometimes present simplified or less nuanced explanations 4 5 7.
The consistency across these sources in classifying HNO2 as a weak acid suggests a consensus in the scientific community. However, the presence of less formal sources raises questions about the potential for misinformation or oversimplification 2 4 6.

Conflicts of Interest

Most of the sources cited do not appear to have significant conflicts of interest. However, educational websites may have an agenda to simplify complex topics for broader audiences, which can sometimes lead to oversimplified explanations.

Methodology and Evidence

The classification of acids typically relies on their dissociation behavior in water, measured by their dissociation constant (Ka). HNO2 has a relatively low Ka value, indicating its weak acid status. However, more specific quantitative data regarding its dissociation in various conditions would enhance the understanding of its behavior in different environments.

Conclusion

Verdict: False

The claim that nitrous acid (HNO2) is a strong acid is false. The evidence consistently indicates that HNO2 is classified as a weak acid due to its partial dissociation in solution, as supported by multiple credible sources, including academic references and chemical databases. Strong acids are characterized by their complete dissociation in water, a criterion that HNO2 does not meet.

It is important to note that while the classification of HNO2 as a weak acid is well-supported, the nuances of acid behavior can vary under different conditions, and the stability of HNO2 can complicate its practical applications. Furthermore, the reliance on various sources, some of which may lack rigorous academic backing, highlights the need for caution when interpreting information.

Readers are encouraged to critically evaluate information and consult multiple sources to gain a comprehensive understanding of chemical classifications and their implications.

Sources

Nitrous acid - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_acid
Is HNO2 Classified as a Strong Acid? If Not, What Is It? https://vocabdictionary.com/explained/is-hno2-classified-as-a-strong-acid-if-not-what-is-it/
Acid and Base Chart — Table of Acids & Bases - MilliporeSigma. https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/US/en/technical-documents/technical-article/chemistry-and-synthesis/acid-base-chart
Is HNO2 an acid or base? - Strong or Weak (Nitrous acid) - Topblogtenz. https://topblogtenz.com/is-hno2-an-acid-or-base-strong-or-weak-nitrous-acid/
Classify the following compounds as weak acids (W) or strong ... https://brainly.com/question/53660246
Is HNO2 Nitrous Acid a Strong or Weak Acid? - TutorOcean. https://corp.tutorocean.com/chemistry/is-hno2-nitrous-acid-a-strong-or-weak-acid/
Classify each of the following species as a weak or strong acid: https://brainly.com/question/42661318
Are the below strong acids weak acids strong base weak base CsOH - Studocu. https://www.studocu.com/en-us/messages/question/6491161/are-the-below-strong-acids-weak-acids-strong-base-weak-basecsohhno3hno2caoh2
Which of the following is a strong acid? - Brainly. https://brainly.com/question/36265231
Is hno2 strong or weak acid? - TipsFolder. https://tipsfolder.com/hno2-strong-weak-acid-f73b0a8702bf20699b460df62c1c70c2/

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Fact Check: 1. Market Attraction and Outreach • Are we effectively targeting overnight visitors from Tucson and Phoenix, our two largest markets? How can we improve our outreach and engagement strategies to attract more long-term guests from these key regions? • Are there untapped markets, such as Albuquerque or Houston, that we should pursue more aggressively? What customized marketing or partnerships could help us reach these potential visitors? • Are our online and in-person efforts sufficient to connect with our highest-volume markets? How can we leverage digital marketing, social media, and local partnerships to increase visibility? • Are we telling compelling stories that resonate with potential visitors from places like Denver or Las Vegas? What narratives or unique selling points could better showcase what Cochise County offers? 2. Understanding Visitor Behavior and Enhancing Stay Duration • Why do visitors from farther away (Dallas, L.A., Las Vegas) tend to stay longer than local Arizonans? What aspects of our offerings appeal to out-of-state visitors, and how can we replicate or enhance those features? • What specific experiences or amenities could we add to encourage longer stays? Are there activities, events, or accommodations that could keep visitors engaged and extend their visits? • How can we foster repeat visitation and encourage visitors to share their experiences with others? What loyalty programs, referral incentives, or community engagement initiatives could support this? 3. Seasonal Planning and Business Collaboration • Are we prepared to maximize revenue during peak months like March and October? What marketing campaigns, special events, or package deals can we implement to capitalize on these periods? • What strategies can we adopt during slower months (June, July, August) to attract more visitors? Could off-season promotions, themed events, or targeted advertising fill the gap? • How can local businesses collaborate to turn single-night stays into multi-night visits? Are there bundled packages, cross-promotions, or joint events that encourage longer stays? • What small changes or new offerings (events, experiences, packages) could boost tourism during quieter months? How can we creatively leverage local heritage, outdoor activities, or seasonal festivals? 4. Enhancing Visitor Experience and Community Engagement • How can we better welcome and serve visitors from Tucson and Phoenix, who already love Cochise County? Are there tailored experiences or concierge services that could deepen their connection? • How can our businesses support each other to leave a strong, lasting impression on first-time visitors? Can we develop cross-business collaborations, shared marketing efforts, or community ambassador programs? • How can we celebrate our heritage while offering fresh, innovative experiences to attract new guests? What storytelling, cultural events, or experiential tourism can showcase our unique identity? • Are there stories or local narratives we’re not telling enough, which could attract diverse markets? How can storytelling be integrated into our marketing to highlight authenticity and appeal? 5. Long-term Community and Economic Sustainability • What does this visitor data suggest about staffing, marketing, and infrastructure planning for the upcoming year? How can we align resources to meet demand during peak times and prepare for slower periods? • How do we ensure that tourism supports and strengthens our community and economy sustainably? What measures can we implement to balance growth with community well-being, environmental preservation, and local culture?

Detailed fact-check analysis of: 1. Market Attraction and Outreach • Are we effectively targeting overnight visitors from Tucson and Phoenix, our two largest markets? How can we improve our outreach and engagement strategies to attract more long-term guests from these key regions? • Are there untapped markets, such as Albuquerque or Houston, that we should pursue more aggressively? What customized marketing or partnerships could help us reach these potential visitors? • Are our online and in-person efforts sufficient to connect with our highest-volume markets? How can we leverage digital marketing, social media, and local partnerships to increase visibility? • Are we telling compelling stories that resonate with potential visitors from places like Denver or Las Vegas? What narratives or unique selling points could better showcase what Cochise County offers? ________________________________________ 2. Understanding Visitor Behavior and Enhancing Stay Duration • Why do visitors from farther away (Dallas, L.A., Las Vegas) tend to stay longer than local Arizonans? What aspects of our offerings appeal to out-of-state visitors, and how can we replicate or enhance those features? • What specific experiences or amenities could we add to encourage longer stays? Are there activities, events, or accommodations that could keep visitors engaged and extend their visits? • How can we foster repeat visitation and encourage visitors to share their experiences with others? What loyalty programs, referral incentives, or community engagement initiatives could support this? ________________________________________ 3. Seasonal Planning and Business Collaboration • Are we prepared to maximize revenue during peak months like March and October? What marketing campaigns, special events, or package deals can we implement to capitalize on these periods? • What strategies can we adopt during slower months (June, July, August) to attract more visitors? Could off-season promotions, themed events, or targeted advertising fill the gap? • How can local businesses collaborate to turn single-night stays into multi-night visits? Are there bundled packages, cross-promotions, or joint events that encourage longer stays? • What small changes or new offerings (events, experiences, packages) could boost tourism during quieter months? How can we creatively leverage local heritage, outdoor activities, or seasonal festivals? ________________________________________ 4. Enhancing Visitor Experience and Community Engagement • How can we better welcome and serve visitors from Tucson and Phoenix, who already love Cochise County? Are there tailored experiences or concierge services that could deepen their connection? • How can our businesses support each other to leave a strong, lasting impression on first-time visitors? Can we develop cross-business collaborations, shared marketing efforts, or community ambassador programs? • How can we celebrate our heritage while offering fresh, innovative experiences to attract new guests? What storytelling, cultural events, or experiential tourism can showcase our unique identity? • Are there stories or local narratives we’re not telling enough, which could attract diverse markets? How can storytelling be integrated into our marketing to highlight authenticity and appeal? ________________________________________ 5. Long-term Community and Economic Sustainability • What does this visitor data suggest about staffing, marketing, and infrastructure planning for the upcoming year? How can we align resources to meet demand during peak times and prepare for slower periods? • How do we ensure that tourism supports and strengthens our community and economy sustainably? What measures can we implement to balance growth with community well-being, environmental preservation, and local culture?

Jul 21, 2025

🔍

Partially True

Fact Check: Paul Krugman Paul Krugman We’re All Rats Now Time to take a stand, again, against racism Paul Krugman Jun 30, 2025 Zohran Mamdani’s upset victory in New York’s Democratic primary has created panic in MAGAland. Stephen Miller, the architect of Donald Trump’s deportation policies, waxed apocalyptic: Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, declared that New York is about to turn into “Caracas on the Hudson.” And Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama basically declared New York’s voters subhuman, saying: These inner-city rats, they live off the federal government. And that’s one reason we’re $37 trillion in debt. And it’s time we find these rats and we send them back home, that are living off the American taxpayers that are working very hard every week to pay taxes. These reactions are vile, and they’re also dishonest. Whatever these men may claim, it’s all about bigotry. Miller isn’t concerned about the state of New York “society.” What bothers him is the idea of nonwhite people having political power. Bessent isn’t really deeply worried about Zamdani’s economic ideas. But he feels free, maybe even obliged, to slander a foreign-born Muslim with language he would never use about a white Christian politician, even if that politician were (like some of his colleagues in the Trump administration) a total crackpot. And while Tuberville stands out even within his caucus as an ignorant fool, his willingness to use dehumanizing language about millions of people shows that raw racism is rapidly becoming mainstream in American politics. Remember, during the campaign both Trump and JD Vance amplified the slanders about Haitians eating pets. And now that they’re in office, you can see the resurgence of raw racism all across Trump administration policies, large and small. You can see it, for example, in the cuts at the National Institutes of Health, which are so tilted against racial minorities that a federal judge — one appointed by Ronald Reagan! — declared I’ve never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable. I’ve sat on this bench now for 40 years. I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this. You can see it in the renaming of military bases after Confederate generals — that is, traitors who fought for slavery. You can even see it in a change in the military’s shaving policy that is clearly custom-designed to drive Black men — who account for around a quarter of the Army’s new recruits — out of the service. So racism and bigotry are back, big time. Who’s safe? Nobody. Are you a legal immigrant? Well, the Supreme Court just allowed Trump to summarily strip half a million U.S. residents of that status, and only a fool would imagine that this is the end of the story. Anyway, when masked men who claim to be ICE agents but refuse to show identification are grabbing people off the streets because they think those people look illegal, does legal status even matter? Does it even matter if you’re a U.S. citizen? And the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is set to massively increase ICE’s funding — basically setting up a huge national secret police force. Now, maybe you imagine that you yourself won’t suffer from this new reign of bigotry and imagine that everyone you care about is similarly safe. But if that’s what you think, you’re likely to face a rude awakening. I personally don’t have any illusions of safety. Yes, I’m a native-born white citizen. But my wife and her family are Black, and some of my friends and relatives are foreign-born U.S. citizens. Furthermore, I’m Jewish, and anyone who knows their history realizes that whenever right-wing bigotry is on the ascendant, we’re always next in line. Are there really people out there naïve enough to believe MAGA’s claims to be against antisemitism, who can’t see the transparent cynicism and dishonesty? The fact is that the Trump administration already contains a number of figures with strong ties to antisemitic extremists. The Great Replacement Theory, which has de facto become part of MAGA’s ideology, doesn’t just say that there’s a conspiracy to replace whites with people of color; it says that it’s a Jewish conspiracy. So I’m definitely scared of what the many antisemites inside or with close ties to the Trump administration may eventually do. And no, I’m not frightened at all by the prospect that New York may soon have a somewhat leftist Muslim mayor. Anyway, my personal fears are beside the point. Everyone who cares about keeping America America needs to take a stand against the resurgence of bigotry. Because the truth is that we’re all rats now. MUSICAL CODA Discussion about this post Michael Roseman Jun 30 Edited For a while, American bigotry was ashamed of itself. Or pretended to be. Now it runs the government. Reply Share 106 replies Megan Rothery Jun 30 Edited Take a stand - Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, as well as those in others. Use your voice and make some “good trouble” ❤️‍🩹🤍💙 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit?usp=drivesdk Reply Share 31 replies 852 more comments... No posts Ready for more? © 2025 Paul Krugman Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice Start writing Get the app Substack is the home for great culture

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Paul Krugman Paul Krugman We’re All Rats Now Time to take a stand, again, against racism Paul Krugman Jun 30, 2025 Zohran Mamdani’s upset victory in New York’s Democratic primary has created panic in MAGAland. Stephen Miller, the architect of Donald Trump’s deportation policies, waxed apocalyptic: Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, declared that New York is about to turn into “Caracas on the Hudson.” And Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama basically declared New York’s voters subhuman, saying: These inner-city rats, they live off the federal government. And that’s one reason we’re $37 trillion in debt. And it’s time we find these rats and we send them back home, that are living off the American taxpayers that are working very hard every week to pay taxes. These reactions are vile, and they’re also dishonest. Whatever these men may claim, it’s all about bigotry. Miller isn’t concerned about the state of New York “society.” What bothers him is the idea of nonwhite people having political power. Bessent isn’t really deeply worried about Zamdani’s economic ideas. But he feels free, maybe even obliged, to slander a foreign-born Muslim with language he would never use about a white Christian politician, even if that politician were (like some of his colleagues in the Trump administration) a total crackpot. And while Tuberville stands out even within his caucus as an ignorant fool, his willingness to use dehumanizing language about millions of people shows that raw racism is rapidly becoming mainstream in American politics. Remember, during the campaign both Trump and JD Vance amplified the slanders about Haitians eating pets. And now that they’re in office, you can see the resurgence of raw racism all across Trump administration policies, large and small. You can see it, for example, in the cuts at the National Institutes of Health, which are so tilted against racial minorities that a federal judge — one appointed by Ronald Reagan! — declared I’ve never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable. I’ve sat on this bench now for 40 years. I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this. You can see it in the renaming of military bases after Confederate generals — that is, traitors who fought for slavery. You can even see it in a change in the military’s shaving policy that is clearly custom-designed to drive Black men — who account for around a quarter of the Army’s new recruits — out of the service. So racism and bigotry are back, big time. Who’s safe? Nobody. Are you a legal immigrant? Well, the Supreme Court just allowed Trump to summarily strip half a million U.S. residents of that status, and only a fool would imagine that this is the end of the story. Anyway, when masked men who claim to be ICE agents but refuse to show identification are grabbing people off the streets because they think those people look illegal, does legal status even matter? Does it even matter if you’re a U.S. citizen? And the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is set to massively increase ICE’s funding — basically setting up a huge national secret police force. Now, maybe you imagine that you yourself won’t suffer from this new reign of bigotry and imagine that everyone you care about is similarly safe. But if that’s what you think, you’re likely to face a rude awakening. I personally don’t have any illusions of safety. Yes, I’m a native-born white citizen. But my wife and her family are Black, and some of my friends and relatives are foreign-born U.S. citizens. Furthermore, I’m Jewish, and anyone who knows their history realizes that whenever right-wing bigotry is on the ascendant, we’re always next in line. Are there really people out there naïve enough to believe MAGA’s claims to be against antisemitism, who can’t see the transparent cynicism and dishonesty? The fact is that the Trump administration already contains a number of figures with strong ties to antisemitic extremists. The Great Replacement Theory, which has de facto become part of MAGA’s ideology, doesn’t just say that there’s a conspiracy to replace whites with people of color; it says that it’s a Jewish conspiracy. So I’m definitely scared of what the many antisemites inside or with close ties to the Trump administration may eventually do. And no, I’m not frightened at all by the prospect that New York may soon have a somewhat leftist Muslim mayor. Anyway, my personal fears are beside the point. Everyone who cares about keeping America America needs to take a stand against the resurgence of bigotry. Because the truth is that we’re all rats now. MUSICAL CODA Discussion about this post Michael Roseman Jun 30 Edited For a while, American bigotry was ashamed of itself. Or pretended to be. Now it runs the government. Reply Share 106 replies Megan Rothery Jun 30 Edited Take a stand - Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, as well as those in others. Use your voice and make some “good trouble” ❤️‍🩹🤍💙 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit?usp=drivesdk Reply Share 31 replies 852 more comments... No posts Ready for more? © 2025 Paul Krugman Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice Start writing Get the app Substack is the home for great culture

Jul 20, 2025