Question

Describe in detail how you would prepare a pure, dry sample of each case give the salts. in each case give the chemical equation of the reaction that occurs

a) silver chloride starting with silver nitrate
b) copper II sulphate crystals starting with copper II carbonate​

Answer 1

a) Silver chloride can be prepared from silver nitrate by adding a chloride ion source such as sodium chloride or hydrochloric acid. The chemical equation for this reaction is:

AgNO3 + NaCl → AgCl + NaNO3

or

AgNO3 + HCl → AgCl + HNO3

To prepare a pure, dry sample of silver chloride, the following steps can be taken:

1. Prepare a solution of silver nitrate by dissolving a known amount of the solid in distilled water.
2. Prepare a solution of sodium chloride or hydrochloric acid in distilled water.
3. Slowly add the chloride ion source solution to the silver nitrate solution while stirring. The reaction should be exothermic and a white precipitate of silver chloride will form.
4. Allow the mixture to stand for a short period of time to allow any undissolved silver chloride to settle into the bottom of the container.
5. Decant the clear solution from the top of the container, being careful not to lose any of the solid precipitates.
6. Transfer the silver chloride precipitate to a filter funnel and wash it with distilled water to remove any remaining impurities.
7. Allow the precipitate to dry completely by leaving it in an oven or desiccator. Once dry, the sample of silver chloride is now considered pure.

b) Copper II Sulphate can be prepared from copper II carbonate by adding sulfuric acid. The chemical equation for this reaction is:

CuCO3 + H2SO4 → CuSO4 + CO2 + H2O

To prepare a pure, dry sample of copper II sulphate, the following steps can be taken:

1. Prepare a solution of copper II carbonate by dissolving a known amount of the solid in distilled water.
2. Prepare a solution of sulfuric acid in distilled water.
3. Slowly add the sulfuric acid solution to the copper II carbonate solution while stirring. The reaction should be exothermic and a blue precipitate of copper II sulphate will form.
4. Allow the mixture to stand for a short period of time to allow any undissolved copper II sulphate to settle to the bottom of the container.
5. Decant the clear solution from the top of the container, being careful not to lose any of the solid precipitates.
6. Transfer the copper II sulphate precipitate to a filter funnel and wash it with distilled water to remove any remaining impurities.
7. Allow the precipitate to dry completely by leaving it in an oven or desiccator. Once dry, the sample of copper II sulphate is now considered pure.

It's important to note that these methods are just one way to prepare the pure salts and other methods may also exist. Additionally, the purity of the final product depends on the purity of the starting materials and the care taken during the preparation process.