A student mixed a solution of aqueous calcium chloride with an aqueous solution of magnesium sulphate. A precipitate formed.
1) Write the balance chemical equation for the reaction including states of matter. Ensure you write the reactants as a dissociated ions.
2) Based on your chemical equation write the net ionic equation for the reaction.
Ca++ + 2Cl- + Mg++ + SO4-->>CaSO4(s)+Mg++ + 2Cl--
net:
Ca++ + SO4-- > CaSO4 (s)
To answer this question, we need to break it down into two parts. First, we'll write the balanced chemical equation by dissociating the reactants into their respective ions and then combining them to form the products. Then, we'll write the net ionic equation by removing the spectator ions from the balanced equation, focusing only on the species directly involved in the precipitation.
1) Write the balanced chemical equation:
Let's start by writing the chemical formulas for the given reactants:
Calcium chloride: CaCl₂
Magnesium sulphate: MgSO₄
Now, let's dissociate the reactants into ions:
CaCl₂ → Ca²⁺ + 2Cl⁻
MgSO₄ → Mg²⁺ + SO₄²⁻
The balanced equation can be written by combining the ions:
Ca²⁺ + 2Cl⁻ + Mg²⁺ + SO₄²⁻ → Ca²⁺ + SO₄²⁻ + Mg²⁺ + 2Cl⁻
The final balanced chemical equation, including the states of matter, will look like this:
CaCl₂(aq) + MgSO₄(aq) → CaSO₄(s) + MgCl₂(aq)
2) Write the net ionic equation:
In the net ionic equation, we eliminate the spectator ions (ions that do not participate in the reaction) and focus only on the species involved in the precipitation. In this case, the spectator ions are Ca²⁺ and Cl⁻.
The net ionic equation can be written as:
Mg²⁺(aq) + SO₄²⁻(aq) → MgSO₄(s)
Therefore, the net ionic equation for this reaction is: Mg²⁺(aq) + SO₄²⁻(aq) → MgSO₄(s)