Potassium nitrate
KNO3101.103 g/mol Calculated
Also called Saltpeter, Nitrate of potash, Niter and Salt peter.
Saltpeter, one of the three ingredients of gunpowder, and the curing salt that keeps ham pink. It also sells as stump remover and as fertiliser. Found in cured meat.
Sources and notes
- The introductionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Other namesfrom sourceWikidataIts English label and aliases on Wikidata.
- Formula and weightcomputedPubChem
- 2D drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKit
Where you encounter it
Potassium nitrate on our curated lists, and on the product labels we hold.
Every product and list we hold
Sources and notes
- Our curated lists and their amountsfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedEach amount is an editorial figure from our food and drink lists, not a measurement of any one product.
- The product labels and their strengthsfrom sourceDailyMed (FDA label)Each label lists the molecule as an ingredient, and an active ingredient at the strength shown.
- How it gets therefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedEach mark is set by hand on our lists, never inferred; a label's ingredient is added by the maker. A row with no mark data says Not marked.
Properties and sources
Calculated by PubChem
- Molecular formula
- KNO3
- Molecular weight
- 101.103 g/mol
- Polar surface areatopological
- 62.9 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 0
- H-bond acceptors
- 3
- Rotatable bonds
- 0
- Complexity
- 18
Measured LD50, HSDB via PubChem
3,015 mg/kg pure potassium nitrate, rat, oral
An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person.
Reported Hazard label (GHS), ECHA via PubChem
Danger Oxidizer pictogram (GHS03) and Irritant pictogram (GHS07); hazard statements H272, H315, H319, H335
Groups it belongs to
- Category
- Everyday chemistry
- Family
- Inorganic compounds
- Food and drink lists
- Cured meat
- Product lists
- Garden and pest control
- Hazard classes
- Oxidizing, Irritant, GHS Danger
SMILES
[N+](=O)([O-])[O-].[K+]PubChem CID 24434 · Wikidata Q177836 · InChIKey FGIUAXJPYTZDNR-UHFFFAOYSA-N · Data refreshed
Questions
- What is Potassium nitrate?
- Saltpeter, one of the three ingredients of gunpowder, and the curing salt that keeps ham pink. It also sells as stump remover and as fertiliser. Found in cured meat.
- Where is Potassium nitrate found?
- Potassium nitrate is found in cured meat. It is also in these product groups: garden and pest control. from sourcefrom source
- How toxic is Potassium nitrate?
- The reported LD50 of Potassium nitrate is 3,015 mg/kg (rat, oral). An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person. Its GHS hazard label carries the signal word Danger and the hazard pictograms Oxidizer and Irritant. from sourcefrom source
- What kind of molecule is Potassium nitrate?
- Potassium nitrate has the formula KNO3 and a molecular weight of 101.103 g/mol. MoleculeFinder files it under inorganic compounds, in the everyday chemistry group. from sourcefrom sourcefrom sourcefrom source
- What else is Potassium nitrate called?
- Potassium nitrate is also called Saltpeter, Nitrate of potash, Niter and Salt peter. from source
Sources and notes
- Calculated valuescomputedPubChemComputed from the structure, so no laboratory conditions apply; complexity is PubChem's own structural score.
- LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChemOther values the sources report: rabbit, oral, 1,901 mg/kg; rat, oral, 3,750 mg/kg. The page shows the one LD50 the site uses everywhere.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA via PubChemThe label combines these classifications.
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- Data refreshedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder2026-11-09
Keep exploring
Sources and notes
- Similar in shapecomputedRDKit Morgan/TanimotoNeighbours by structural fingerprint; the sentence names the chemical groups the two share.
- The drawingscomputedPubChem structures, drawn by RDKit