Question

For the following chemical reaction:

In the laboratory, a chemist mixed aqueous barium chloride with aqueous potassium oxide which produced solid barium oxide and aqueous potassium chloride

A. Write the complete balanced chemical equation, including phase labels.

B. Identify the type of reaction that has occurred.

C. Identify the indicator that tells you a chemical reaction has occurred.

Answer 1

A. BaCl2(aq) + K2O(aq) → BaO(s) + 2KCl(aq)

B. It's a double displacement reaction ( metathesis)

C. The formation of a new substance with new properties

Step-by-step explanation:

A. The complete balanced chemical equation, including phase labels, for the reaction described is:

BaCl2(aq) + K2O(aq) → BaO(s) + 2KCl(aq)

B. The type of reaction that has occurred is a double displacement or metathesis reaction. In this type of reaction, the cations and anions of two ionic compounds switch places, resulting in the formation of two new compounds. In this case, the barium cation (Ba2+) from barium chloride (BaCl2) switches places with the potassium cation (K+) from potassium oxide (K2O) to form solid barium oxide (BaO) and aqueous potassium chloride (KCl).

C. The indicator that tells you a chemical reaction has occurred is the formation of a new substance with new properties. In this case, the aqueous solutions of barium chloride and potassium oxide react to form solid barium oxide and aqueous potassium chloride, which have different physical and chemical properties than the original reactants. For example, barium oxide is a white solid that does not dissolve in water, whereas barium chloride and potassium oxide are both soluble in water. Additionally, the formation of a solid product (barium oxide) indicates that a chemical reaction has occurred, as opposed to a physical change like a change in state or solubility.