A small or no difference with Nitrates

[Soley101]

Hey, I may make a complete fool of myself in front of class tomorrow if I try to correct a teacher on something I don't know...but here is the situation. I know that plants (photosynthetic organisms) can take up nitrogen in two forms, NH4+ (ammonium) and nitrate NO3-. On a quiz the supposed answer to which form of nitrogen can be used by plants was NO3+. My question is, is NO3- and NO3+ still a nitrate, and why in my textbook was only NO3- said to be taken up by plants and not NO3-. I'd really like to know so I can correct the teacher if applicable :)

 

[Soley101]

what i meant to ask is, whether NO3+ is a nitrate and if it can be used in plants and if it even exists

 

[jim mcnamara]

NO3 is a nitrate radical. Period. The sign means that it is ionized. Normally when nitrate is in solution it becomes a negative ion NO3- in your example.

I do not think NO3+ can exist in a solution, so I am assuming it is an error in typing.

 

[Soley101]

Thankyou:)