Here's the balanced chemical equation:
Fe(NO₃)₃ (aq) + 3NH₄OH (aq) → Fe(OH)₃ (s) + 3NH₄NO₃ (aq)
Explanation:
* Ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH) is a weak base that dissociates into ammonium ions (NH₄⁺) and hydroxide ions (OH⁻) in solution.
* Iron(III) nitrate (Fe(NO₃)₃) is a soluble salt that dissociates into iron(III) ions (Fe³⁺) and nitrate ions (NO₃⁻) in solution.
* When these solutions are mixed, the hydroxide ions (OH⁻) from ammonium hydroxide react with the iron(III) ions (Fe³⁺) from iron(III) nitrate to form insoluble iron(III) hydroxide (Fe(OH)₃), which precipitates out of the solution as a brown solid.
* The remaining ions, ammonium (NH₄⁺) and nitrate (NO₃⁻), remain in solution as ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃).
Observations:
* The formation of the brown precipitate is a clear indication of the reaction.
* The solution may become slightly cloudy or milky as the precipitate forms.
This reaction is an example of a double displacement reaction or precipitation reaction.
