Question

To measure the amount of nickel in some industrial waste fluid, an analytical chemist adds sodium hydroxide solution to a sample of the fluid and collects the solid nickel(II) hydroxide product. When no more is produced, he filters, washes and weighs it, and finds that has been produced. The balanced chemical equation for the reaction is:

Answer 1

The final balanced equation is

Ni2+ + 2NaOH --> Ni (OH)2 + 2Na+

Step-by-step explanation:

It is given that sodium hydroxide is added to collect the solid nickel(II) hydroxide product

The empirical equation for this statement is

Ni2+ + NaOH --> Ni (OH)2 + Na+

We will first balance the hydroxide molecule. On the right side there are two OH molecules.

Thus, on the left side we will take 2 sodium hydroxide

Ni2+ + 2NaOH --> Ni (OH)2 + Na+

Now we will balance the sodium ion which are 2 in numbers on the left side and 1 on the right side

Ni2+ + 2NaOH --> Ni (OH)2 + 2Na+

So, the final balanced equation is

Ni2+ + 2NaOH --> Ni (OH)2 + 2Na+