nitrate

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 硝 has 12 strokes and appears in words concerning niter or nitric acid.
• Basic usage: 硝石 is read しょうせき, and 硝酸 is read しょうさん.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Distinguishing substance names
  • 硝石 refers to niter, the mineral form of potassium nitrate.
  • 硝酸 refers to nitric acid.
  • 硝酸の性質 means the properties of nitric acid.