Na₂SO₄(aq) + CaCl₂(aq) → CaSO₄(s) + 2NaCl(aq)
Here's a breakdown:
* Reactants:
* Sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄) - dissolved in water (aq)
* Calcium chloride (CaCl₂) - dissolved in water (aq)
* Products:
* Calcium sulfate (CaSO₄) - a white solid precipitate (s)
* Sodium chloride (NaCl) - dissolved in water (aq)
Explanation:
This reaction is a double displacement reaction. The positive and negative ions of the reactants switch places, forming new compounds.
* Sodium (Na⁺) ions from sodium sulfate combine with chloride (Cl⁻) ions from calcium chloride to form soluble sodium chloride (NaCl).
* Calcium (Ca²⁺) ions from calcium chloride combine with sulfate (SO₄²⁻) ions from sodium sulfate to form insoluble calcium sulfate (CaSO₄), which precipitates out of the solution as a white solid.
Balancing the Equation:
* To balance the equation, we need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.
* The coefficient 2 in front of NaCl ensures that we have the same number of sodium, chlorine, and oxygen atoms on both sides.