Question

Examine each of the following pairs of potential reactants. Decide whether or not a reaction would occur. If a reaction occurs, write the balanced equation. If no reaction occurs, write NR.

Potassium and aluminum chloride

Answer 1

Using the activity series, a reaction between potassium and aluminum chloride will occur because potassium is more active than aluminum, resulting in potassium chloride and aluminum as products: 3 K(s) + AlCl3(aq) → 3 KCl(aq) + Al(s).

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine whether a reaction between potassium and aluminum chloride would occur, we can refer to the activity series. According to the activity series, a metal will replace another metal in a compound if it is more active. In this case, potassium is more active than aluminum. Therefore, a single-replacement reaction will occur.

The balanced chemical equation for the reaction between potassium (K) and aluminum chloride (AlCl3) would be:
3 K(s) + AlCl3(aq) → 3 KCl(aq) + Al(s)
This is because potassium replaces aluminum from the compound, producing potassium chloride and aluminum metal in the process.