Question

Write a chemical equation for the reaction of manganese metal with aqueous nickel(II) nitrate to produce aqueous manganese(II) nitrate and nickel metal.

Short answer

\(\text{Mn (s) + Ni(NO}_3)_2 (aq) \rightarrow \text{Mn(NO}_3)_2 (aq) + Ni (s)}\)

Step-by-step solution

Identify the Reactants and Products

First, we need to identify the reactants and products in the chemical reaction. The reactants are manganese metal (\(\text{Mn}\)) and aqueous nickel(II) nitrate (\(\text{Ni(NO}_3)_2\)). The products are aqueous manganese(II) nitrate (\(\text{Mn(NO}_3)_2\)) and nickel metal (\(\text{Ni}\)).

Write the Unbalanced Chemical Equation

Write down the equation with reactants on the left side and products on the right side: \(\text{Mn (s) + Ni(NO}_3)_2 (aq) \rightarrow \text{Mn(NO}_3)_2 (aq) + Ni (s)}\).

Balance the Chemical Equation

Ensure that the same number of each type of atom is present on both sides of the equation. For the given reaction, note that there's one manganese atom and one nickel atom on both sides, so the equation is already balanced: \(\text{Mn (s) + Ni(NO}_3)_2 (aq) \rightarrow \text{Mn(NO}_3)_2 (aq) + Ni (s)}\).

Key concepts

Reactants and Products

In any chemical reaction, identifying the reactants and products is crucial for understanding the process. Reactants are the starting substances that undergo change. Products are the substances formed as a result of the reaction. This transformation involves breaking and forming chemical bonds. For instance, when manganese metal reacts with aqueous nickel(II) nitrate, they serve as the reactants. The term 'aqueous' indicates that the compound is dissolved in water, which is crucial for reactions occurring in solutions. The process converts these reactants into new substances. Here, manganese(II) nitrate and nickel metal are the resulting products. The reactants appear on the left side of the chemical equation, while the products are listed on the right. Understanding this layout is essential for balancing chemical equations, where the same types of atoms should be equal on both sides.

Aqueous Solutions

Aqueous solutions are solutions where water is the solvent. They are indicated by the notation (aq) in chemical equations. Water's unique properties, such as its ability to dissolve many ionic compounds, make it an ideal solvent for numerous reactions, particularly those involving ions. In the provided reaction, aqueous nickel(II) nitrate means that this compound is dissolved in water, allowing its ions to interact freely. When you dissolve an ionic compound like nickel(II) nitrate in water, the compound breaks into nickel and nitrate ions, facilitating the reaction with manganese metal. Aqueous solutions are prevalent in chemistry because they enable reactions to occur more readily by providing a medium in which reactants can move and collide with each other. This increased movement speeds up the reaction process.

Manganese and Nickel Reaction

The reaction between manganese metal and nickel(II) nitrate involves a single displacement reaction. In this type of reaction, an element in its pure form displaces another element in a compound. Here, manganese displaces nickel from nickel(II) nitrate.The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is: \[ \text{Mn (s) + Ni(NO}_3)_2 (aq) \rightarrow \text{Mn(NO}_3)_2 (aq) + Ni (s)} \]This equation shows manganese metal reacting to form manganese(II) nitrate in the solution, while nickel metal is left as a solid. Balancing this equation confirms the Law of Conservation of Mass, indicating that mass is conserved as there is an equal number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation. Simple single displacement reactions like this are fundamental in understanding how metals interact and are commonly taught in introductory chemistry courses.