1. Understand Double-Replacement Reactions
In a double-replacement reaction, the positive and negative ions of two reactants switch partners. The general form is:
AB + CD → AD + CB
2. Identify the Ions
* Potassium chloride (KCl): K⁺ (potassium ion) and Cl⁻ (chloride ion)
* Silver acetate (AgC₂H₃O₂): Ag⁺ (silver ion) and C₂H₃O₂⁻ (acetate ion)
3. Switch Partners
* Potassium (K⁺) will combine with acetate (C₂H₃O₂⁻) to form potassium acetate (KC₂H₃O₂) .
* Silver (Ag⁺) will combine with chloride (Cl⁻) to form silver chloride (AgCl) .
4. The Balanced Equation
The complete balanced chemical equation is:
KCl (aq) + AgC₂H₃O₂ (aq) → KC₂H₃O₂ (aq) + AgCl (s)
Important Note:
* Silver chloride (AgCl) is a white precipitate that is insoluble in water. This is why it is represented as (s) for solid in the equation.
* The other product, potassium acetate (KC₂H₃O₂), is soluble in water and remains dissolved as ions in solution (aq).
Therefore, the products of the double-replacement reaction between potassium chloride and silver acetate are potassium acetate and silver chloride (precipitate).
