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|Section2= |Section3= |Section4= |Section7= |Section8= }} Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula KNO3. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrate ions NO3−. It occurs as a mineral niter and is a natural solid source of nitrogen. 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 (blackpowder) and has been used since the Middle Ages as a food preservative. ==Etymology== Potassium nitrate, because of its early and global use and production, has many names. The Greeks used the term ''nitron'', which was Latinised to ''nitrum'' or ''nitrium''. While earlier Hebrew and Egyptian used words with the consonants n-t-r, which leads some to speculate that the Latin term is closer to the original than the Greek term. Middle English styled it ''nitre''. Old French has ''niter''. By the 15th century Europeans referred to it as ''saltpeter'' and later as ''nitrate of potash'' as the chemistry of the compound was more fully understood. The Arabs called it "Chinese snow" ((アラビア語:ثلج الصين) '). It was called "Chinese salt" by the Iranians/Persians or "salt from Chinese salt marshes" ((ペルシア語:نمک شوره چيني) '). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Potassium nitrate」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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