Here's the balanced chemical equation:
2 AgNO₃ (aq) + Na₂S (aq) → Ag₂S (s) + 2 NaNO₃ (aq)
Explanation:
* Silver nitrate (AgNO₃) is a soluble ionic compound, meaning it dissolves in water to form silver ions (Ag⁺) and nitrate ions (NO₃⁻).
* Sodium sulfide (Na₂S) is also a soluble ionic compound, dissolving in water to form sodium ions (Na⁺) and sulfide ions (S²⁻).
* When these solutions are mixed, the silver ions (Ag⁺) react with the sulfide ions (S²⁻) to form a highly insoluble compound, silver sulfide (Ag₂S). This compound precipitates out of solution as a black solid.
* The remaining ions, sodium (Na⁺) and nitrate (NO₃⁻), remain in solution as sodium nitrate (NaNO₃).
Key observations:
* Formation of a black precipitate (Ag₂S)
* The solution may appear cloudy or milky due to the precipitate.
This reaction is an example of a precipitation reaction where an insoluble compound is formed from the reaction of two soluble reactants.