Final answer:
The total mass remains the same as the reaction takes place. The mass of AgCl that is formed can be used to determine the mass of AgNO3 present in the reactants using stoichiometry calculations.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the given chemical reaction, solid precipitate AgCl is formed when aqueous solutions of silver nitrate and sodium chloride are mixed. The total mass of the reactants remains the same as the reaction takes place because mass is conserved in a chemical reaction, according to the law of conservation of mass.
According to the balanced chemical equation:
AgNO3 + NaCl → AgCl + NaNO3
The mass of AgCl that is formed can be used to determine the mass of AgNO3 present in the reactants using stoichiometry calculations.
The total mass remains the same before and after the precipitation reaction between AgNO3 and NaCl due to the Law of Conservation of Mass. The mass of AgNO3 can be determined by using stoichiometry based on the mass of AgCl precipitate recovered and the molar masses of the compounds.
When the solutions of AgNO3 (silver nitrate) and NaCl (sodium chloride) are mixed together, a precipitation reaction occurs, forming a solid precipitate of AgCl (silver chloride) and a solution of NaNO3 (sodium nitrate). According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, the total mass of the reactants before the reaction will be equal to the total mass of the products after the reaction. This means that the mass does not change; it is simply rearranged into different compounds. To determine the mass of AgNO3 that was present in the reactants, we would use the molar masses of the compounds involved and stoichiometry based on the balanced chemical equation.
For example, if 3.06 grams of AgCl are recovered after the reaction, and knowing that the molar mass of AgCl is approximately 143.32 g/mol, you can calculate the moles of AgCl produced and then use the stoichiometry of the balanced equation, where the mole ratio of AgNO3 to AgCl is 1:1, to find the equivalent moles of AgNO3 used. Next, by using the molar mass of AgNO3, which is approximately 169.87 g/mol, you can convert the moles of AgNO3 to grams to find the mass of AgNO3 that was originally present.