we did a lab where we mixed an iron nail with cupric chloride to find the reaction

is this the balanced equation...

Fe + CuCl2 --> FeCl2 + Cu

or would Fe and Cl bond different??

It is balanced. The important thing here is that iron displaced the copper in copperII chloride, which means that iron is more active than copper.

The balanced equation for the reaction between iron (Fe) and cupric chloride (CuCl2) is:

2Fe + 3CuCl2 → 2FeCl3 + 3Cu

In this reaction, iron (Fe) reacts with cupric chloride (CuCl2) to form iron(III) chloride (FeCl3) and copper (Cu). Although the chlorine (Cl) ions are involved in the reaction, they do not bond with the iron individually. Instead, the overall reaction involves the transfer of electrons between iron and copper.

To determine the balanced equation for the reaction between an iron nail (Fe) and cupric chloride (CuCl2), we need to consider the charges and the law of conservation of mass.

First, let's break down the reactant, cupric chloride (CuCl2). "Cupric" indicates that copper is in the +2 oxidation state (Cu2+), and "chloride" indicates that chlorine is in the -1 oxidation state (Cl-). Therefore, CuCl2 consists of one copper ion (Cu2+) and two chloride ions (2Cl-).

When the iron nail (Fe) reacts with cupric chloride, it undergoes a single-displacement reaction, where the more reactive metal (iron) replaces the less reactive metal (copper). This is also known as a redox reaction because there is a transfer of electrons.

Let's balance the equation step by step:

1. Write the unbalanced equation:
Fe + CuCl2 → FeCl2 + Cu

2. Determine the oxidation numbers of the elements involved:
Fe: It is a pure element, so its oxidation number is 0.
Cu: It is being replaced by iron (Fe), so it loses two electrons. Its oxidation number changes from +2 to 0.
Cl: It remains unchanged with an oxidation number of -1.

3. Rewrite the equation with the oxidation numbers:
Fe + Cu2+ + 2Cl- → Fe2+ + 2Cl- + Cu

4. Now, balance the charges in the equation by adding electrons:
Fe + Cu2+ + 2Cl- → Fe2+ + 2Cl- + Cu + 2e-

5. Simplify the equation by canceling out the common ions and electrons:
Fe + Cu2+ → Fe2+ + Cu + 2e-

6. Finally, balance the equation by adjusting the coefficients:
Fe + Cu2+ → Fe2+ + Cu

So, yes, the balanced equation for the reaction between an iron nail and cupric chloride is:
Fe + CuCl2 → FeCl2 + Cu

The iron (Fe) displaces the copper (Cu) from the cupric chloride solution, resulting in the formation of iron(II) chloride (FeCl2) and copper (Cu) metal.