Potassium nitrate Potassium nitrate Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula KNO. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K and nitrate ions NO, and is therefore an alkali metal nitrate. It occurs in nature as a mineral, niter. It is a source of nitrogen, from which it derives its name. Potassium nitrate is one of several nitrogen-containing compounds collectively referred to as saltpeter or saltpetre. Major uses of potassium nitrate are in fertilizers, tree stump removal, rocket propellants and fireworks. It is one of the major constituents of gunpowder (black powder) and has been used since the
Period 5 element blood cells in the body. Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (for ) and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4. Tin is the 49th most abundant element and has, with 10 stable isotopes, the largest number of stable isotopes in the periodic table. Tin is obtained chiefly from the mineral cassiterite, where it occurs as tin dioxide, SnO. This silvery, malleable