Final answer:
When solid barium iodide is placed in water, it dissolves and dissociates into barium ions (Ba2+) and iodide ions (I-), resulting in a homogeneous solution since barium iodide is water-soluble.
Step-by-step explanation:
When solid barium iodide (BaI2) is put into water, it dissociates into its ions. The reaction can be represented by the following balanced chemical equation:
BaI2(s) → Ba2+(aq) + 2I-(aq)
This process represents the dissolution of a solid ionic compound into its constituent ions in water. It is important to note that barium iodide is soluble in water, so there is no precipitation reaction in this case, and all the ions remain in solution. If we compare this process to a typical precipitation reaction like when an aqueous solution of barium chloride is mixed with sodium sulfate, the products include a solid precipitate of barium sulfate. In contrast, for the dissolution of barium iodide, no precipitate is formed, and it simply results in a homogeneous aqueous solution of barium and iodine ions.