When aqueous CuSO4 is added to aqueous Na2S2O3, why is there no reaction?
When aqueous CuSO4 (copper sulfate) is added to aqueous Na2S2O3 (sodium thiosulfate), there is no reaction because the two compounds do not react with each other under normal conditions.
To understand why there is no reaction, we can consider the chemical properties of each compound.
CuSO4 is a salt that is composed of the copper (Cu2+) cation and the sulfate (SO4 2-) anion. It is a stable compound that does not readily undergo reactions with other substances. In aqueous solution, CuSO4 dissociates into copper ions (Cu2+) and sulfate ions (SO4 2-).
Na2S2O3, on the other hand, is also a salt composed of the sodium (Na+) cation and the thiosulfate (S2O3 2-) anion. Like CuSO4, it is a stable compound that does not readily react with most substances. In aqueous solution, Na2S2O3 dissociates into sodium ions (Na+) and thiosulfate ions (S2O3 2-).
Because the copper ions and thiosulfate ions in the CuSO4 and Na2S2O3 solutions, respectively, do not have any specific reactivity towards each other, they do not interact or form any new compounds when mixed together.
In summary, the lack of a reaction between aqueous CuSO4 and aqueous Na2S2O3 can be attributed to the stable nature of both compounds and the absence of any specific reactivity between their respective ions.