What would the formula be for barium chloride dissolved in water?
BaCl2(aq)
The formula for barium chloride dissolved in water is BaCl2(aq), where "aq" refers to "aqueous" and indicates that barium chloride is dissolved in water.
To understand the formula, it is important to understand the chemical formula of barium chloride on its own. Barium chloride is composed of one barium ion (Ba2+) and two chloride ions (Cl-). The chemical formula for barium chloride is therefore BaCl2.
When barium chloride is dissolved in water, the compound dissociates into its constituent ions due to the attraction between the solvent (water) molecules and the ions. In this case, barium chloride dissociates into one barium ion (Ba2+) and two chloride ions (2Cl-). To indicate that the compound is dissolved in water, "(aq)" is added to the formula, indicating the presence of aqueous (dissolved) ions.
So, the formula BaCl2(aq) represents that barium chloride has dissociated into its constituent ions, Ba2+ and 2Cl-, in an aqueous (dissolved) form.