Was Nitric Acid Discovered?

Layman's explanation: Nitric acid was first discovered in 1648 by a German chemist, Johann Rudolf. However, in 1901 Wilhelm Ostwald developed the Ostwald Process, which became the principle way of producing nitric acid.

Where the nitric acid is found?

Nitric acid is produced chiefly by oxidation of ammonia through the Ostwald process. Small amounts are produced by the treatment of sodium nitrate with sulfuric acid. Nitric acid is also a component of acid rain.

How was nitric acid originally made?

The principal method of manufacture of nitric acid is the catalytic oxidation of ammonia. In the method developed by the German chemist Wilhelm Ostwald in 1901, ammonia gas is successively oxidized to nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide by air or oxygen in the presence of a platinum gauze catalyst.