When an aqueous solution of lithium chloride is mixed with an aqueous solution of ammonium sulfate ______.
A. a precipitate form
B. a new salf is formed
C. a gas is evolved
D. an acid and base are formed
E. no reaction occurs
Are the products insoluble? no.
Is a gas produced? No.
Are Li2SO4 or NH4Cl weak electrolytes? No.
If the answer to those three questions are no, then there is no reaction (unless we have a redox reaction going on) and we don't in this case. So E must the correct answer.
To determine the outcome of mixing an aqueous solution of lithium chloride (LiCl) with an aqueous solution of ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4, we can look at the potential reactions between the ions present.
First, let's write out the ionic compounds and break them down into their respective ions:
Lithium chloride (LiCl): Li+(aq), Cl-(aq)
Ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4): 2NH4+(aq), SO4 2-(aq)
Now, we can see if any of the ions combine to form a precipitate, new salt, a gas, or produce an acid-base reaction.
A. Precipitate formation: This occurs when the combination of ions produces an insoluble solid. To determine if a precipitate forms, we need to check if any combination of the cations and anions forms an insoluble compound. In this case, Li+(aq) does not react with Cl-(aq) to form an insoluble compound, so a precipitate does not form. Therefore, option A is incorrect.
B. New salt formation: This refers to the formation of a compound when ions combine in solution. In this case, there are no new ions present that can combine to form a new compound. Therefore, option B is incorrect.
C. Gas evolution: This occurs when a combination of ions produces a gaseous substance. Looking at the ions present, there are no combinations that would result in a gas being evolved. Therefore, option C is incorrect.
D. Acid and base formation: This happens when cations from one compound react with anions from the other compound to form a weak acid and a weak base. In this case, there are no combinations of ions that would form an acid and a base. Therefore, option D is incorrect.
E. No reaction occurs: If there are no interactions between the ions present, then no reaction will occur. In this case, Li+(aq) and NH4+(aq) do not undergo any reactions. Therefore, option E is correct.
Therefore, the answer is option E - no reaction occurs
The correct answer is option A: a precipitate forms.
When an aqueous solution of lithium chloride (LiCl) is mixed with an aqueous solution of ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4, a reaction called a double displacement reaction takes place. In this reaction, the positive ions of one reactant (Li+) switch places with the positive ions of the other reactant (NH4+), forming two new compounds.
The products of this reaction are lithium sulfate (Li2SO4) and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). Both of these compounds are soluble in water, except for lithium sulfate, which has limited solubility. As a result, when the solutions of LiCl and (NH4)2SO4 are mixed, a white precipitate of lithium sulfate forms.
Therefore, option A is the correct answer: a precipitate forms.