In inorganic chemistry, a nitrate's a salt of nitric acid with an ion composed of one nitrogen and three oxygen atoms (NO). In organic chemistry the esters of nitric acid and various alcohols are called nitrates. Chemical properties The nitrate ion's a polyatomic ion with the empirical formula NO and a molecular mass of 62.0049. It's the conjugate base of nitric acid, consisting of one central nitrogen atom surrounded by three identical oxygen atoms in a trigonal planar arrangement. The nitrat… (More on Nitrate)