Question

which property can be used to differentiate between a 50.-gram sample of solid potassium nitrate at stp and a 50.-gram sample of solid silver chloride at stp?

Answer 1

The solubility property can be used to differentiate between potassium nitrate and silver chloride, as potassium nitrate is water-soluble and silver chloride is not.

Step-by-step explanation:

To differentiate between a 50-gram sample of solid potassium nitrate and a 50-gram sample of solid silver chloride at standard temperature and pressure (STP), one could use the solubility property of the substances. While both compounds are white solids, potassium nitrate is soluble in water, whereas silver chloride is insoluble. To separate them, one could add water to the mixture, which would dissolve the potassium nitrate while leaving the silver chloride as a precipitate.

A classic chemical reaction example illustrating the principle of solubility is the reaction between silver nitrate and sodium chloride. The reaction produces silver chloride, which is insoluble in water, thus precipitates out of the solution, while sodium nitrate remains dissolved.

Another approach could involve applying the concept of the law of conservation of mass, which demonstrates that the mass of reactants equals the mass of products, as exemplified in the reaction between sodium chloride and silver nitrate.

Answer 2

To differentiate between a 50-gram sample of solid potassium nitrate and solid silver chloride at STP, solubility in water can be used. Potassium nitrate dissolves readily in water, while silver chloride remains as a precipitate.

Step-by-step explanation:

The property that can be used to differentiate between a 50-gram sample of solid potassium nitrate at STP and a 50-gram sample of solid silver chloride at STP is solubility in water. Silver chloride is practically insoluble in water, whereas potassium nitrate is highly soluble. This difference in solubility can be utilized to separate them: when added to water, potassium nitrate will dissolve, leaving silver chloride as a precipitate.

Another potential method is using a flame test; potassium compounds usually impart a lilac or violet color to a non-luminous flame due to the presence of potassium ions. However, silver chloride does not decompose to release metallic silver in the flame test, and so it is not suitable for this particular test. Thus, solubility in water is the more useful property here.