Question

Predict the products of each reaction. (a) \(\mathrm{HI}(a q)+\mathrm{Al}(s) \longrightarrow\) (b) \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4}(a q)+\mathrm{TiO}_{2}(s) \longrightarrow\) (c) \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3}(a q)+\mathrm{LiOH}(a q) \longrightarrow\)

Short answer

The products are (a) \text{AlI}_{3}(s) + \text{H}_{2}(g), (b) \text{Ti}(\text{SO}_{4})_{2}(aq) + \text{H}_{2}\text{O}(l), and (c) \text{Li}_{2}\text{CO}_{3}(aq) + \text{H}_{2}\text{O}(l).

Step-by-step solution

Predict the product of reaction with hydroiodic acid and aluminum

Hydroiodic acid (HI) will react with aluminum (Al) to form aluminum iodide (AlI3) and hydrogen gas (H2). Aluminum displaces hydrogen from the acid, which is typical for reactions between metals and acids.

Predict the product of reaction between sulfuric acid and titanium dioxide

Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) reacts with titanium dioxide (TiO2) to form titanium sulfate (Ti(SO4)2) and water (H2O). This reaction is an example of an acid reacting with a metal oxide to produce a salt and water.

Predict the product of reaction between carbonic acid and lithium hydroxide

Carbonic acid (H2CO3) reacts with lithium hydroxide (LiOH) to form lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and water (H2O). This is a neutralization reaction, where an acid reacts with a base to produce a salt and water.

Key concepts

Acid-Base Reactions

Among the fascinating events in chemistry are acid-base reactions, which involve the transfer of protons between reactants. In these reactions, an acid, a substance that can donate a proton (H+), and a base, which can accept a proton, interact to form new substances. A classic example illustrated in our exercise is the reaction between carbonic acid (H_2CO_3) and lithium hydroxide (LiOH). This interaction is categorized as a neutralization reaction because the acid and base neutralize each other’s properties. The result is the formation of lithium carbonate (Li_2CO_3), a salt, alongside water (H_2O).

The beauty of acid-base reactions is in their predictability. The products are usually a salt and water, a principle that is widely applicable in chemistry for understanding reactions. This type of reaction is essential in various fields such as biochemistry, environmental science, and engineering, as it plays a central role in buffering systems, water treatment, and the manufacturing of various everyday substances.

Metal-Acid Reactions

In the compelling dance of atoms that is a metal-acid reaction, metals react with acidic solutions to produce salts and hydrogen gas. This sort of reaction is an example of a single displacement or substitution reaction, where the metal takes the place of hydrogen atoms in the acid.

Take, for instance, the reaction between hydroiodic acid (HI) and aluminum (Al), which creates aluminum iodide (AlI3) and hydrogen gas (H2). The aluminum atom donates electrons to the hydrogen ions (H+) stemming from the acid, liberating hydrogen gas and forming the ionic compound aluminum iodide. This is emblematic of a metal reacting with an acid, where the metal's activity, its willingness to lose electrons, plays an essential role. Materials such as reactive metals can release hydrogen gas swiftly, a phenomenon exploited in applications like hydrogen production and the corrosion of metals.

Salt Formation

Salt formation is the name of the chemical narrative where new ionic compounds are created, often as a result of acid-base or metal-acid reactions. Salts are composed of positively charged ions (cations) and negatively charged ions (anions) that are bound together by ionic bonds. An elegantly simple outcome of such reactions, salts can originate from the neutralization of an acid with a base or the displacement of hydrogen in an acid by a metal.

From Acids and Bases

In the former, which involves an acid and a base, the hydrogen ions (H+) from the acid meet and bond with the hydroxide ions (OH−) from the base to craft water (H2O), while the remaining ions form the salt. The seamless pairing of carbonic acid and lithium hydroxide, yielding lithium carbonate and water, is a prime exemplar of this principle in action.

From Metals and Acids

In a metal-acid reaction, such as the one between hydroiodic acid and aluminum, the aluminum displaces hydrogen ions from the acid, enabling the formation of aluminum iodide—a salt. This shows the versatility of salt formation and underscores the vast array of salts that can be produced, each with its own unique properties and applications in food, medicine, and industry.