Question

What is/are the spectator ions for the reaction between barium chloride and sodium sulfate? Barium chloride is a soluble compound, while barium sulfate is insoluble. Select ALL spectator ions from this list below, this is a multiple response question.

a) Ba2+
b) Cl-
c) Na+
d) SO42-
e) There are no spectator ions for this reaction.

Answer 1

The spectator ions for the reaction between barium chloride and sodium sulfate are Cl- and Na+. These ions are present in the reaction mixture but do not take part in the formation of the precipitate, barium sulfate, which is formed in this reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The spectator ions for the reaction between barium chloride and sodium sulfate are the ions that do not participate in the formation of the precipitate. When barium chloride (BaCl2) mixes with sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), a precipitation reaction occurs, and barium sulfate (BaSO4) forms as an insoluble solid. The complete ionic equation for this reaction is:

• Ba2+ (aq) + 2 Cl- (aq) + 2 Na+ (aq) + SO42- (aq) → BaSO4 (s) + 2 Na+ (aq) + 2 Cl- (aq)

The spectator ions are the ones that appear unchanged on both sides of the reaction equation. Here, the sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-) do not change during the reaction, making them spectator ions. Hence, the correct answers from the list are:

• b) Cl-
• c) Na+

The barium ions (Ba2+) and sulfate ions (SO42-) actually participate in the reaction to form the insoluble barium sulfate precipitate and are not spectator ions. Therefore, options a) Ba2+, d) SO42-, and e) There are no spectator ions for this reaction, are incorrect.