2 NaOH + CuBr₂ → Cu(OH)₂ + 2 NaBr
Here's a breakdown of the reaction:
* Reactants:
* Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a strong base.
* Copper bromide (CuBr₂) is a soluble ionic compound.
* Products:
* Copper(II) hydroxide (Cu(OH)₂) is a blue-green precipitate that forms.
* Sodium bromide (NaBr) is a soluble ionic compound that remains in solution.
The reaction is a double displacement reaction. This means that the positive and negative ions of the reactants switch places to form the products.
Here's how to balance the reaction:
1. Start with the unbalanced equation: NaOH + CuBr₂ → Cu(OH)₂ + NaBr
2. Count the number of atoms of each element on both sides:
* Na: 1 on the left, 1 on the right
* O: 1 on the left, 2 on the right
* H: 1 on the left, 2 on the right
* Cu: 1 on the left, 1 on the right
* Br: 2 on the left, 1 on the right
3. Adjust the coefficients in front of each compound to balance the number of atoms:
* Place a "2" in front of NaOH and NaBr to balance the Na, O, H, and Br atoms.
The balanced equation is 2 NaOH + CuBr₂ → Cu(OH)₂ + 2 NaBr