Oxley College - Science

Year 10 Science Worksheet on writing chemical

Precipitation reactions
Every substance is soluble in water to some extent but obviously some substances are more soluble than others. If two ionic substances are mixed together they will generate four different kinds of ions in solution. e.g. Lead II nitrate, Pb(NO3)2, is mixed with potassium iodide, KI

NO3Pb2+ IK+ K+ INO3-

It happens that potassium iodide, lead II nitrate and potassium nitrate are all very soluble but that lead iodide isnt. What happens is that, since all the ions and the water molecules are in constant motion, the lead ions bump into iodide ions, join with them and fall out of the solution. They form a precipitate (which happens to be canary yellow). All the other ions are left in the solution. The reaction in words:
solution)

potassium iodide (in solution) + lead II nitrate (in solution) lead iodide (solid) + potassium nitrate (in

In symbols:

KI (aq)

+ +

Pb(NO3)2 (aq) Pb(NO3)2 (aq)

PbI2 (s) PbI2 (s)

+ +

KNO3 (aq) 2KNO3 (aq)

and balanced: 2KI (aq)

Note that the abbreviation (aq) means aqueous i.e. dissolved in water while (s) means solid. Some solubility rules: Soluble all salts of ammonia, sodium, lithium and potassium all nitrates all acetates most sulfates (except calcium, barium, mercury, lead and silver) sodium, lithium, ammonium and potassium hydroxides most chlorides (except lead and silver) calcium, barium, mercury, lead and silver sulfates all oxides (except sodium. lithium and barium) most salts of lead and silver (except for nitrates and acetates) all silicates (except sodium, lithium and potassium Not very soluble all sulfides (except sodium, lithium and potassium

Another example: sodium sulfide is mixed with calcium chloride The extra possible combinations of ions are: sodium with chloride and calcium with sulfide

A look at the table reveals that calcium sulfide isnt very soluble and will become a precipitate The reaction in symbols is: Na2S (aq) + CaCl2 (aq) CaS (s) + 2NaCl (aq)

Now try writing equations for these:

(Of course youll have to work out the correct formula of each salt and also study the table of solubilities) 1. Calcium chloride solution is mixed with magnesium sulfate solution
In symbols

CaCl2(aq) + MgSO4(aq) CaSO4(s) + MgCl2(aq)

2. Sodium chloride solution is mixed with lead II acetate solution
In symbols

2NaCl(aq) + Pb(CH3COO)2(aq) PbCl2(s) + 2CH3COONa(aq)

3. Silver nitrate solution is mixed with potassium chloride solution
In symbols

AgNO3(aq) + KCl(aq) AgCl(s) + KNO3(aq)

4. Aluminium sulfate solution is mixed with sodium hydroxide solution
In symbols

Al 2(SO4)3(aq) + 6NaOH(aq) 2Al(OH)3(s) + 3Na2SO4(aq)

5. Lithium hydroxide solution is mixed with iron II chloride solution
In symbols

2LiOH(aq) + FeCl2(aq) Fe(OH)2(s) + 2LiCl(aq)

6. Aluminium chloride solution is mixed with lead II acetate solution
In symbols

2AlCl3(aq) + 3Pb(CH3COO)2(aq) 3PbCl2 (s) + 2Al(CH3COO)3(aq)

7. Iron III sulfate solution is mixed with barium hydroxide solution
In symbols

Fe2(SO4)3(aq) + 3Ba(OH)2(aq) 2Fe(OH)3(s) + 3BaSO4(s)

8. Sodium silicate solution is mixed with calcium chloride solution
In symbols

Na2SiO3(aq) + CaCl2(aq) CaSiO3(s) + 2NaCl(aq)

9. Magnesium chloride solution is mixed with silver nitrate solution
In symbols

MgCl2(aq) + 2AgNO3(aq) 2AgCl(s) + Mg(NO3)2(aq)

10. Ammonium sulfate solution is mixed with barium chloride solution
In symbols

(NH4)2SO4(aq) + BaCl2(aq) BaSO4(s) + 2NH4Cl(aq)