Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Ammonia solution
open-in-new
<p>Ammonia solution, also known as ammonia water, ammonium hydroxide, ammoniacal liquor, ammonia liquor, aqua ammonia, aqueous ammonia, or (inaccurately) ammonia, is a solution of <a href="/facts/Ammonia/MtLtJFtz">ammonia</a> in water. It can be denoted by the symbols NH3(aq). Although the name ammonium hydroxide suggests a <a href="/facts/Salt_(chemistry)/lsSKwGpn">salt</a> with the <a href="/facts/Chemical_formula/hghUtthl">composition</a> [NH+4][OH−], it is impossible to isolate samples of NH4OH. The ions NH+4 and OH− do not account for a significant fraction of the total amount of ammonia except in extremely dilute solutions. </p><p>The concentration of such solutions is measured in units of the <a href="/facts/Baum%25C3%25A9_scale/w5rGT1ur">Baumé scale</a> (<a href="/facts/Density/92p6hh9I">density</a>), with 26 degrees Baumé (about 30% of ammonia by weight at 15.5 °C or 59.9 °F) being the typical high-concentration commercial product. </p>