What is nitrate? something to be used for potassium nitrate?

Question

my son wants to know and I have no clue, lol

Answer 1

nitate is a mixture of nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms. anything that ends in ''ate'' means it has oxygen atoms in it.  

Answer 2

Nitrate is the name given to a polyatomic ion, consisting of one nitrogen atom and three oxygen atoms. Potassium nitrate is only one type of nitrate compound.

Nitrate is a form of nitrogen that animals and plants can use as a form of nutrition. Elemental nitrogen cannot be used, because our bodies cannot process it.

Answer 3

NO3 IS THE FORMULA FR NITRATE

Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula KNO3. A naturally occurring mineral source of Nitrogen, KNO3 constitutes a critical oxidizing component of black powder/gunpowder. In the past it was also used for several kinds of burning fuses, including slow matches. Since potassium nitrate readily precipitates, urine was a significant source, through various malodorous means, from the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern era through the 19th century.