Question

When 2 g of aluminum foil is added to 500 mL of the CuCl2 solution indicated in Table 1, the following reaction takes place:

2 Al(s) + 3 CuCl2(aq) → 2 AlCl3(aq) + 3 Cu(s).

A) Aluminum (Al).
B) Copper chloride (CuCl2).
C) Aluminum chloride (AlCl3).
D) Copper (Cu).

Answer 1

Aluminum reacts with copper(II) chloride to form aluminum chloride and elemental copper, a process that showcases a single replacement reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

When 2 g of aluminum foil is added to 500 mL of CuCl2 solution, a chemical reaction happens where aluminum (Al) displaces copper (Cu) from copper(II) chloride (CuCl2) to form aluminum chloride (AlCl3) and elemental copper. This type of reaction is known as a single replacement reaction, similar to the provided examples of zinc and iron reacting with copper(II) chloride and copper(II) sulfate, respectively. In this displacement reaction, aluminum is oxidized from zero oxidation state as a solid metal to a +3 oxidation state in AlCl3, while copper is reduced from a +2 oxidation state in CuCl2 to zero oxidation state as solid copper.

To further clarify, here are steps similar to those for turning word equations into symbolic equations:

1. Identify the reactants and products, which are Al(s) and CuCl2(aq) as reactants, and AlCl3(aq) and Cu(s) as products.
2. Write the correct formulas for compounds, ensuring they are charge balanced.
3. Write the correct formulas for all elements, considering the diatomic nature of some elements when not combined in compounds.