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When a solution of silver nitrate is mixed with a solution of sodium chloride, the solution turns cloudy. Which of the following represents the net ionic equation for this chemical change?

User Anuar
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1 Answer

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Answer:

Ag+ (aq) + Cl- (aq) → AgCl (s)

Step-by-step explanation:

The reaction between silver nitrate and sodium chloride is a double displacement reaction, where silver cations (Ag+) from silver nitrate react with chloride anions (Cl-) from sodium chloride to form solid silver chloride (AgCl) precipitate.

The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:

AgNO3 (aq) + NaCl (aq) → AgCl (s) + NaNO3 (aq)

To write the net ionic equation, we need to eliminate the spectator ions (ions that do not participate in the reaction). In this case, the sodium cation (Na+) and the nitrate anion (NO3-) are spectator ions because they appear unchanged on both sides of the equation.

The net ionic equation for the reaction is:

Ag+ (aq) + Cl- (aq) → AgCl (s)

This equation shows that silver cations (Ag+) and chloride anions (Cl-) react to form solid silver chloride (AgCl) precipitate, which is responsible for the cloudy appearance of the solution.

User Mark Bonano
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