Nitric acid AsO, SbO, and TiO respectively. Some precious metals, such as pure gold and platinum-group metals do not react with nitric acid, though pure gold does react with "aqua regia", a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. However, some less noble metals (Ag, Cu, ...) present in some gold alloys relatively poor in gold such as colored gold can be easily oxidized and dissolved by nitric acid, leading to colour changes of the gold-alloy surface. Nitric acid is used as a cheap means in jewelry shops to quickly spot low-gold alloys (< 14 carats) and to rapidly assess the
Phosphorous acid concentrating the solution and precipitations with alcohols, the pure acid can be separated from the salt. Phosphorous acid is a strong acid with a p"K" in the range 1.26–1.3. It is a diprotic acid, the hydrogenphosphite ion, HP(O)(OH) is a moderately strong acid: The conjugate base HP(O)(OH) is called hydrogen phosphite, and the second conjugate base, , is the phosphite ion. (Note that the IUPAC recommendations are hydrogen phosphonate and phosphonate respectively). The hydrogen atom bonded directly to the phosphorus atom is not readily ionizable. Chemistry examinations often test students' appreciation of the fact that "not" all three hydrogen atoms