Here's why:

* Nitrates are salts that contain the nitrate anion (NO₃⁻).

* Nitric acid is a strong acid that dissociates in water to form hydrogen ions (H⁺) and nitrate ions (NO₃⁻).

* When nitric acid reacts with a base, the hydrogen ions from the acid react with the hydroxide ions (OH⁻) from the base to form water (H₂O). The remaining nitrate ions combine with the cation from the base to form the nitrate salt.

Example:

The reaction of nitric acid (HNO₃) with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) produces sodium nitrate (NaNO₃):

HNO₃ + NaOH → NaNO₃ + H₂O