Hi, I was wondering why is there white smoke when nh4cl and ca(oh)2 is being heated. Thanks!
Isn't calcium chloride white, and "solid".
Then what is the white smoke?
When NH4Cl (ammonium chloride) and Ca(OH)2 (calcium hydroxide) are heated together, a chemical reaction occurs, producing white smoke. This reaction is known as a double displacement reaction. Let me explain how this happens.
First, we need to understand the chemical formula and properties of the reactants. NH4Cl is formed by the combination of ammonium (NH4+) and chloride (Cl-) ions. Ca(OH)2 is made up of calcium (Ca2+) and hydroxide (OH-) ions.
During heating, the double displacement reaction occurs between NH4Cl and Ca(OH)2. The ammonium ions (NH4+) from NH4Cl react with the hydroxide ions (OH-) from Ca(OH)2. This results in the formation of NH3 (ammonia) gas and water (H2O). The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:
2NH4Cl + Ca(OH)2 → 2NH3 + 2H2O + CaCl2
The white smoke you see is actually the ammonia gas (NH3) reacting with the moisture in the air to form tiny water droplets. These droplets appear as a white smoke or fog.
To summarize, when NH4Cl and Ca(OH)2 are heated together, they undergo a double displacement reaction, producing ammonia gas and water. The white smoke you observe is formed when the ammonia gas reacts with moisture, leading to the formation of tiny water droplets.