Formation of a White Precipitate with Cl-, HNO3, AgNO3

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In summary, a white precipitate is a solid substance formed by a chemical reaction between two solutions. In the case of Cl-, HNO3, and AgNO3, the white precipitate is caused by the reaction between silver nitrate and hydrochloric acid. Nitric acid is added to maintain an acidic environment and prevent the precipitate from dissolving, while silver nitrate is the source of silver ions needed for the reaction. This reaction can be used to detect the presence of chloride ions in a solution.
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Dissolve a chloride into a water, add excess nitric acid, then pour silver nitrate solution. A white precipitate is formed. What's it ?
 
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Silver Chloride ? [itex] AgCl [/itex]
Consider the chloride of a unvalent metal:
[tex] X^{+}+Cl^{-}+H_{3}O^{+}+Ag^{+}+2NO_{3}^{-}\rightarrow XNO_{3}+AgCl\downarrow+HNO_{3}+H_{2}O [/tex]

Daniel.
 
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The white precipitate formed in this reaction is silver chloride (AgCl). When a chloride ion (Cl-) is dissolved in water and then mixed with excess nitric acid, it reacts with the nitrate ions (NO3-) to form a silver chloride precipitate. This reaction is known as a precipitation reaction, where two soluble substances combine to form an insoluble product. The silver chloride precipitate is insoluble in water and appears as a white solid. This reaction is commonly used in chemistry to confirm the presence of chloride ions in a solution, as the formation of a white precipitate is a characteristic property of chloride ions.
 

1. What is a white precipitate?

A white precipitate is a solid substance that forms when two or more solutions are mixed together and a chemical reaction occurs. It appears as a cloudy or milky white substance in the solution.

2. What causes the formation of a white precipitate with Cl-, HNO3, and AgNO3?

The formation of a white precipitate with Cl-, HNO3, and AgNO3 is caused by a chemical reaction between silver nitrate (AgNO3) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). The silver ions (Ag+) in the silver nitrate solution react with the chloride ions (Cl-) in the hydrochloric acid solution to form silver chloride (AgCl), which is insoluble in water and precipitates out of solution.

3. Why is nitric acid (HNO3) added in the reaction?

Nitric acid (HNO3) is added in the reaction to provide an acidic environment and to prevent the silver chloride from dissolving. The nitric acid reacts with any excess hydrochloric acid present to form a salt, which helps to keep the pH of the solution low and promote the formation of the silver chloride precipitate.

4. What role does silver nitrate (AgNO3) play in the reaction?

Silver nitrate (AgNO3) is the source of silver ions (Ag+) in the reaction. These silver ions react with the chloride ions (Cl-) in the hydrochloric acid solution to form the insoluble silver chloride precipitate. Without silver nitrate, there would be no silver ions available to react and no white precipitate would form.

5. Can the formation of a white precipitate with Cl-, HNO3, and AgNO3 be used to detect the presence of chloride ions?

Yes, the formation of a white precipitate with Cl-, HNO3, and AgNO3 is commonly used in chemical tests to detect the presence of chloride ions in a solution. This reaction is known as the silver chloride test and is often used to test for the presence of salt (NaCl) in food or water samples.

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