Final answer:
Barium hydroxide is prepared through a precipitation reaction between sodium hydroxide and barium nitrate, resulting in the insoluble barium hydroxide precipitating out of the solution.
Step-by-step explanation:
To prepare the insoluble salt barium hydroxide, a precipitation reaction occurs between sodium hydroxide and barium nitrate. The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:
Ba(NO3)2(aq) + 2NaOH(aq) → Ba(OH)2(s) + 2NaNO3(aq)
The ionic equation for this reaction, excluding spectator ions, would be:
Ba²⁺(aq) + 2OH⁻(aq) → Ba(OH)2(s)
This illustrates that barium hydroxide precipitates out of the solution when barium ions and hydroxide ions meet in an aqueous environment.