Question

Silver nitrate reacts with strontium chloride in an aqueous precipitation reaction. What are the formulas of silver nitrate and strontium chloride? Write the molecular equation and net ionic equation for the reaction. What are the names of the products? Give the molecular equation for another reaction that produces the same precipitate.

Short answer

Formulas: AgNO3, SrCl2. Products: AgCl (silver chloride), Sr(NO3)2 (strontium nitrate). Another reaction: AgNO3 + NaCl → AgCl + NaNO3.

Step-by-step solution

Identify the Chemical Formulas

The formula for silver nitrate is \( \text{AgNO}_3 \) and for strontium chloride, it is \( \text{SrCl}_2 \). These compounds will react in an aqueous solution.

Write the Molecular Equation

When silver nitrate reacts with strontium chloride, silver chloride precipitate is formed along with strontium nitrate. The molecular equation for this reaction is:\[2\text{AgNO}_3(aq) + \text{SrCl}_2(aq) \rightarrow 2\text{AgCl}(s) + \text{Sr(NO}_3)_2(aq)\]

Determine the Net Ionic Equation

To find the net ionic equation, first dissociate the soluble compounds into ions and remove the spectator ions:Silver nitrate dissociates into:\[2\text{Ag}^+(aq) + 2\text{NO}_3^-(aq)\]Strontium chloride dissociates into:\[\text{Sr}^{2+}(aq) + 2\text{Cl}^-(aq)\]The net ionic equation cancels the spectator ions (\( \text{NO}_3^- \) and \( \text{Sr}^{2+} \)) and becomes:\[2\text{Ag}^+(aq) + 2\text{Cl}^-(aq) \rightarrow 2\text{AgCl}(s)\]

Identify the Products

The products of the reaction are silver chloride (\( \text{AgCl} \)), which is a solid precipitate, and strontium nitrate (\( \text{Sr(NO}_3)_2 \)), which remains in solution. Thus, the names of the products are silver chloride and strontium nitrate.

Suggest Other Reactions

Any reaction that produces silver chloride as a precipitate could involve silver ions and chloride ions in solution. For instance, silver nitrate can also react with sodium chloride:\[\text{AgNO}_3(aq) + \text{NaCl}(aq) \rightarrow \text{AgCl}(s) + \text{NaNO}_3(aq)\]This also results in the formation of the precipitate silver chloride.

Key concepts

Silver Nitrate

Silver nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula \( \text{AgNO}_3 \). It appears as a colorless crystalline solid and is highly soluble in water. Silver nitrate is an important compound in chemistry due to its reactivity and purity as a source of silver ions.

It is used in various applications including:

• As a precursor to the formation of other silver compounds.
• In photography, due to its light-sensitive properties.
• In organic synthesis as a reagent.

In the context of precipitation reactions, silver nitrate provides silver ions \( \text{Ag}^+ \) that can react with chloride ions \( \text{Cl}^- \) to form an insoluble salt, facilitating the formation of a precipitate.

Strontium Chloride

Strontium chloride is another key player in our chemical reaction, represented by the formula \( \text{SrCl}_2 \). This compound is commonly found as a water-soluble salt, typically in the form of small white crystals. When dissolved in water, it dissociates into strontium ions \( \text{Sr}^{2+} \) and chloride ions \( \text{Cl}^- \).

Strontium chloride has several uses, such as:

• In pyrotechnics for red color effects.
• In medicine, utilized in the treatment of bone-related conditions.

In precipitation reactions, it's the chloride ions from \( \text{SrCl}_2 \) that play a crucial role. These chloride ions react with silver ions from silver nitrate to create a solid precipitate, highlighting the importance of \( \text{SrCl}_2 \) in the reaction process.

Net Ionic Equation

The net ionic equation is a simplified representation of a reaction, focusing on the actual chemical changes taking place. It excludes spectator ions, which are ions that do not participate in the reaction.

In the case of silver nitrate reacting with strontium chloride, the full dissociation and removal of spectator ions \( \text{NO}_3^- \) and \( \text{Sr}^{2+} \) lead to the net ionic equation:\[2\text{Ag}^+(aq) + 2\text{Cl}^-(aq) \rightarrow 2\text{AgCl}(s)\]This equation reflects the formation of a solid precipitate, silver chloride \( \text{AgCl} \), from the reacting ions. By revealing the actual chemistry behind the reaction, net ionic equations are instrumental in understanding how compounds interact in solutions.

Silver Chloride Formation

Silver chloride formation is a classic example of a precipitation reaction in chemistry, and it is often used to demonstrate this type of reaction. When the silver ions \( \text{Ag}^+ \) from silver nitrate interact with chloride ions \( \text{Cl}^- \) from strontium chloride, a white, solid precipitate, known as silver chloride \( \text{AgCl} \), forms.

Characteristics of silver chloride include:

• It is insoluble in water, causing it to precipitate out as a solid.
• It turns purple when exposed to light due to the breakdown of silver chloride into silver and chlorine.

The formation of silver chloride can also occur from other sources of chloride ions, such as sodium chloride \( \text{NaCl} \). No matter the source, the essential reaction remains the combination of \( \text{Ag}^+ \) and \( \text{Cl}^- \) ions to yield precipitate.