Question

Write the chemical reaction for the process where Iron (III) chloride reacts with Sodium hydroxide, forming solid Sodium chloride and aqueous Iron (III) hydroxide.

Answer 1

Iron (III) chloride reacts with Sodium hydroxide to form solid Sodium chloride and aqueous Iron (III) hydroxide. The balanced chemical equation is FeCl3(aq) + 3NaOH(aq) → Fe(OH)3(s) + 3NaCl(aq). This reaction is a double displacement reaction with the formation of a precipitate.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Iron (III) chloride reacts with Sodium hydroxide, the products are solid Sodium chloride and aqueous Iron (III) hydroxide. The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:

FeCl₃(aq) + 3NaOH(aq) → Fe(OH)₃(s) + 3NaCl(aq)

In this reaction, one mole of iron(III) chloride (FeCl₃) reacts with three moles of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to form one mole of iron(III) hydroxide (Fe(OH)₃) as a solid precipitate and three moles of sodium chloride (NaCl) in solution.

This type of reaction is an example of a double displacement reaction, also known as a metathesis reaction, where the anions and cations of two compounds switch places, resulting in the formation of two new compounds. A characteristic feature of this specific reaction is the formation of a precipitate, which is the insoluble solid (Fe(OH)₃) that forms and settles out of the liquid.