The Birkeland–Eyde process was one of the competing industrial processes in the beginning of nitrogen based fertilizer production. It is a multi-step nitrogen fixation reaction that uses electrical arcs to react atmospheric nitrogen (N2) with oxygen (O2), ultimately producing nitric acid (HNO3) with water.[1] The resultant nitric acid was then used as a source of nitrate (NO3−) in the reaction HNO 3 + H 2 O ⟶ H 3 O + + NO 3 − {\textstyle {\ce {HNO3 + H2O -> H3O+ + NO3-}}} which may take place in the presence of water or another proton acceptor.