Nitric acid rises to 1 at a temperature of 250 °C. Nitric acid can act as a base with respect to an acid such as sulfuric acid: The nitronium ion, , is the active reagent in aromatic nitration reactions. Since nitric acid has both acidic and basic properties, it can undergo an autoprotolysis reaction, similar to the self-ionization of water: Nitric acid reacts with most metals, but the details depend on the concentration of the acid and the nature of the metal. Dilute nitric acid behaves as a typical acid in its reaction with most metals. Magnesium, manganese, and zinc liberate H:
Acid–base reaction Instead of defining acid–base reactions in terms of protons or other bonded substances, the Lewis definition defines a base (referred to as a "Lewis base") to be a compound that can donate an "electron pair", and an acid (a "Lewis acid") to be a compound that can receive this electron pair. For example, boron trifluoride, BF is a typical Lewis acid. It can accept a pair of electrons as it has a vacancy in its octet. The fluoride ion has a full octet and can donate a pair of electrons. Thus is a typical Lewis acid, Lewis base reaction. All